King cited state and federal statutes, OCGA 50-36-1 and 8 U.S.C. 1611, 1621 and 1623 that state that illegal immigrants are ineligible for state and local public benefits, which include post-secondary education. King, whose actions were prompted by the case of Kennesaw State University student Jessica Colotl, sent the requests to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on May 19.
King, the founder of the Dustin Inman Society, wants Regents schools to use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement Program to verify the citizenship of students. Designed by the federal government, the SAVE Program checks the immigration status of noncitizens applying for federal, state and local public benefits and licenses. A spokesman for the GBI said Tuesday that under Georgia law, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation could not respond to requests from a citizen to open an investigation. The request, instead, has to come from a public official, like a district attorney, a sheriff, a superior court judge or a governing official. Representatives for ICE did not return phone calls in response to King's letters on Tuesday. Regents spokesman John Millsaps denied that the Board is breaking the law, and could not confirm whether the board will take up the issue at its next meeting, June 8 and 9.
"Current federal and state law do not preclude an individual from applying to college. Anyone may apply - and if the applicant meets the admissions requirements and is accepted, he or she may enroll," Millsaps said. "The Board provides in-state tuition only for Georgia residents. Undocumented students may still enroll but, like any other non-Georgian, must pay out-of-state tuition, which can be three times as much as in-state. The out-of-state tuition rate is set at the full cost of instruction."
That prompted King to ask, "Is the Board of Regents smarter than a fifth grader?"
"I am very, very disappointed as a citizen that I am the one who has to know, understand and take action on this," King said. "We need to be asking the question, how many real immigrants and American citizens have lost their classroom seats because of the violation in policy by our Board of Regents system?"
King also said he is prepared to file a civil lawsuit in state court against the Board of Regents, asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order halting any admissions until the university system complies with the policy.
Gov. Sonny Perdue weighed in on the controversy Tuesday, supporting the Regents.
"The university's primary obligation is to educate students," Perdue said. "To expect them to be the immigration agents or the determinants of whether someone is here legally or illegally is really beyond their scope of work."
The governor also said he agreed that Colotl should be allowed to finish her studies.
"The balance of a humane society has some compassion element to that," Perdue said. Allowing Colotl to stay, he said "is not my decision to make, but I would not voice disagreement if that decision were made."
Colotl, an illegal immigrant, was stopped for a traffic violation on KSU's campus and arrested on March 30 for failure to provide a valid driver's license, it was discovered that she had also been paying in-state tuition since she enrolled as a freshman in fall 2006.
Follow us on Twitter!
Yes, your analogy is off base.
Try another one.
Comparing the Jewish community to the illegal Mexican community isn't helpful.
Illegal alien is not a race, but, the Mexicans hold first place in fence jumping. I say get out (said that over 18 years ago when no-one whould listen).
You race baiters should go to Mexico and see what their immigrant laws are like, don't tell us we are wrong when your worse, and go fix your own country and let me worry about mine you cockroach.
So, instead, we pay for illegals' schooling K-12 then listen to them whine and make demands on us because they aren't treated like any other citizen?
Dear Law-Breaking, border-jumping, gate-crashers.
Don't break into my home and complain about the furnishings and menu. If you feel you've been treated unfairly, the government has violated your rights, you're forced to live in the shadows and in fear then don't take it any longer. GET OUT, NOW.
P.S. Don't call us, we'll call you.
Although states are required to provide a K-12 education for illegal alien children, they remain, upon graduation, illegal aliens who have no legal right to work in this country. Where do you think they end up working and with whose SS Card?
Even worse, after a U.S. college education--to which they were not entitled--they are still illegal aliens with no right to a job here.
How about asking Colotl where she thought she was going to find work before she got caught and where she thinks she'll be working now.
I cannot imagine where Cobb and Georgia would be without men like these.
Raise you hand if you have heard a peep out of any candidate for election of re election to the Georgia legislature utter a peep about any of this.
Me neither. Sheriff Warren and Mr. King are our real leaders. I know that King has quit his business to fight the illegals and the people who help them.
I say "thank you" to both of them.
First of all, if they are in this country illegally, they have no right to 'further their education'. After high school they are considered of legal age and must act accordingly. If that means to return to their country of origin and go through the proper channels to achieve legal stauts, so be it.
Secondly, you are absolutely wrong in that these illegal immigrants are not taking up space in our colleges (please refer to my earlier post as to what you are wrong about). If you believe that then it is crystal clear that you don't know how the public university system works. If you also don't think that affirmative action has lowered the bar to let some 'deserving' students into college while leaving out those who have legitimately earned a spot you are doubly ignorant.
Recently, The Georgia Policy and Budget Institute reported that the approved FY 2010 budget closed at a $3.3 billion budget deficit; with Georgia Facing Large Deficits in FYs 2011 & 2012.
It is a known fact that illegal immigration has created every problem we now are facing. Those who can see beyond their nose can attribute this huge shortfall to the huge influx of illegal aliens. Georgia has more illegal invaders than Arizona; hence more cost for education, healthcare, law enforcement and anchor babies.
With that in mind you would think that Perdue would be taking steps comparable to those of Governor Brewer, but no…the dismal outlook for Georgia’s legal citizens doesn’t seem to turn any faces red with shame. Instead Perdue makes the stupid statement that Universities are not in the immigration enforcement business. Americans can assume we are a nation of laws with no enforcement against crime.
Perdue and Cagle, like Bush will be retiring to comfort with the money, perks and position they have acquired by selling out America. Any candidate they endorse can be seen as a continuation of the same. I would not vote for any candidate in any office that hasn’t filled out a form on how they stand on illegal immigration. It is the most important issue facing America in 2010 and 2012. You can find these questionnaires to send to candidates on NumbersUSA. Then check out their answers on NumbersUSA.