Despite Budget Crisis, Penn State Offers In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants

Amidst a budget crisis, Pennsylvania State University offers in-state tuition rates to qualifying illegal immigrants while American citizens across the country are charged out-of-state tuition. 

An admissions page on the university’s website states that “Undocumented students, with or without DACA, can be eligible for in-state tuition if they meet Penn State’s residency requirements.”

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Evers Budget Hurts Wisconsin Job Creators, Middle Class, Think Tank Says

The nonprofit Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) on Friday issued a comprehensive analysis of Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’s 2023-25 state budget and bemoaned the proposal’s likely impact on job creators and the middle class.

Evers’s spending plan totals $104 billion, $16 billion more than the budget on which the Badger State now operates. If enacted, the new proposal would be the first state budget exceeding $100 billion. It includes massive spending increases in such areas as public education, childcare assistance, “affordable housing” and broadband expansion. Republican lawmakers, who object to the extent of the spending hikes and the governor’s refusal to devote more of the state’s $7.1 billion surplus to tax cuts, promised last week to thoroughly rewrite the plan. 

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In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants Sends Wrong Message, Immigration Reform Advocate Says

A Tennessee Republican lawmaker is pushing another bill that would give illegal immigrants a taxpayer-funded break on college tuition — a move, according to one immigration reform advocate, that sends the message that the Volunteer State is turning a blind eye to the law.

State Senator Todd Gardenhire’s (R-Chattanooga) bill is being sold as an inducement to deal with Tennessee’s teacher shortage.

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Reeves Preps Repeal of Law Granting In-State Tuition, Financial Aid Regardless of Immigration Status

Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) is drafting legislation to repeal a 2021 bill that made college students eligible for state financial aid regardless of immigration status.

“We are in the midst of a higher education cost crisis caused by the federal government’s continued involvement in the student loan process,” Reeves said in a press release. “To think that we would prioritize students that are here illegally over our country’s own citizens is astounding. All this does is decrease the pool of scholarships and funds available to law-abiding US citizens who reside in Virginia, worsening the issues that our youth face today when it comes to the accessibility of higher education. To support this legislation would feel like turning my back on my constituents. I am committed to repealing this unethical, irresponsible law.”

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Biden Promotes ‘Free’ Community College for Americans, ‘Dreamers’

President Joe Biden touted a key part of his education initiative Monday, pushing for two years of free community college nationwide, but some critics question the long-term efficacy of his plan.

Biden spoke at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia, to promote his proposal, which would provide, among other things, $109 billion for two years of tuition-free community college.

“Do we want to give the wealthiest people in America another tax cut, or do you want to give every high school graduate the ability to earn a community college degree?” Biden asked during his speech, arguing that 12 years of schooling is not long enough in the modern economy. “That’s why the American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America – two years of universal, high-quality pre-school and two years of free community college.”

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Bills for In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants Passes Virginia House, Senate

The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates passed their own versions of legislation that would guarantee in-state tuition for illegal immigrants residing in the state this week.

Under both bills, a person would be allowed to receive in-state tuition for public colleges and universities as long as the person meets all other necessary criteria, regardless of whether the person is residing in the country legally. The House version of the bill will be sent to the Senate and the Senate version to the House.

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State Rep. Tim Wirgau Voted to Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Alien Students But Is Not Fessing Up to It With Voters

Tim Wirgau

Posted on Rep. Tim Wirgau’s campaign website under the heading “Straight Talk with Tim” is this statement about his 2015 “yes” vote to award illegal alien students residing in Tennessee the in-state tuition benefit: I am opposed to illegal immigration. My consistent voting record as your State Representative proves it. I have voted against sanctuary cities in Tennessee and illegal immigration. My opponent claims I voted to give to illegals with HB675. The record shows I voted against HB675. “Wirgau requested to be recorded as voting No. It was only when the Senate version was presented on the House floor with Amendment 488 which states, “A student may be classified as a Tennessee resident and be charged in-state tuition if the student: (1) Is lawfully present in the United States;…” I felt it necessary not to deny lawfully present children the opportunity for skilled training if they can afford to pay their way. No HOPE scholarship. NO Tennessee Promise. And That’s a Fact. Wirgau’s post shows that he voted against the original language of the bill presumably because he understood that the bill was intended to give illegal alien students in Tennessee the in-state tuition benefit. But, he states, he decided…

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OFF THE RECORD: GOP 6th Congressional District John Rose – Will Little Brother Track Big Sister’s Farm Bureau Agenda?

John Rose, Rhodena Rose

Multi-millionaire John Rose is running in the GOP primary for Diane Black’s seat to represent the 6th Congressional District. He will face off with proven ultra-conservative state Rep. Judd Matheny, self-described conservative retired judge Bob Corlew, and the whoever-heard-of-them candidates Christopher Monday and “U-turn” LaVern Vivio. Roses’s big sister is Rhedona Rose, head of the Tennessee Farm Bureau (TFB). TFB’s parent is the American Farm Bureau Federation, a non-profit organization with affiliate farm bureaus in all 50 states, including Tennessee. The TFB is reputed to be the largest farm bureau in the country. Little brother John Rose, former Commissioner of Agriculture during governor Don Sundquist’s administration, is running on a “I’m a non-career politician” type platform. Oh yeah, right, you were never elected to any political position, you were just a political appointee, chaired the Tennessee State Fair Association and held a seat on the boards of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission. And then there’s big sister’s head honcho position with the Tennessee Farm Bureau. No politicking there – sure. Big sister Rhedona Rose is the first woman head of the statewide TFB. She used to be the executive…

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Illegal Aliens Get In-State Tuition in Five States That Also Allow Them to Practice Law

Sergio Garcia

California, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Connecticut all provide the in-state tuition benefit for illegal aliens in their states and all permit illegal aliens who graduate from law school, to apply for and obtain a license to practice law. Last week Connecticut became the fifth state to change its rules and license eligible illegal aliens to practice law. Prior to the rule change, Connecticut required lawyers to either be a U.S. citizen or “an alien lawfully residing in the United States.” The rule now includes anyone “authorized to work lawfully in the United States.” The rule change was proposed by Denia Perez, a grantee of Obama’s unconstitutional DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) administrative amnesty program. Illegal aliens trying to get a license to practice could potentially have an easy path in Tennessee, especially as explained below, if proponents of the in-state tuition bill are successful during the next legislative session. State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) who last session sponsored the bill for its fourth run, are likely to try again in 2019. Unlike Connecticut and California before they changed their rules, Tennessee’s rules about who is eligible to be granted a law…

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Randy Boyd Defends Joining the College Promise Advisory Board

During a campaign stop in Memphis on April 25th, Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd defended voluntarily joining the College Promise Advisory Board, which was tied at the time of his joining to then-President Obama. When he’s asked the question about his participation with this board, he insists that “President Obama didn’t appoint me to anything” and “we’re [the Board] not promoting tuition for illegals.” Two things are not true about that. First of all, President Obama didn’t appoint me to anything I created the Tennessee Promise and then there’s a group of other people who said you know other states would like to do this too. Would you be willing to join us? It’s a non-profit organization. Not anything President Obama has anything to do with. They asked if I would join the board and let other states know about our program. And frankly, I’m proud of Tennessee and I want us to be first but I don’t mind sharing with Indiana. I’ve met with people in Indiana, in Oregon, with people in multiple states that are also interested in doing what we’ve done and want to do the same thing in their states. But it’s a non-profit and President Obama…

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Illegal Immigrants in Tennessee Can Already Get Cheaper College Tuition Than What is Proposed in Gardenhire/White Bill

Graduation

State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) have failed three times to pass a bill that would award the in-state tuition benefit to illegal aliens but they are trying again this legislative session using the same argument about financial accessibility of in-state v. out-of-state tuition. A less expensive college tuition, however, is already available to illegal aliens and, it doesn’t require passing the Gardenhire/White bill. University of the People (UoPeople) offers completely free “quality, online, degree-granting educational programs to any qualified student” including refugees, asylum seekers and illegal aliens: Founded in 2009, University of the People is the first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited American online university. To date, the university has enrolled nearly 10,000 students from more than 200 countries and territories around the world – almost half of whom reside in the US. Recently, the university has seen a significant spike in enrollment from immigrants in the US, among those, refugees, DACA and undocumented students. According to a recent student survey, 69% of US-residing students reported being immigrants, of whom, approximately 30% are DACA or undocumented. ‘It is our duty to support anyone who wants to improve their lives through education,’ says [UoPeople founder] Reshef. ‘We…

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State Sen. Todd Gardenhire Sponsors Bills to Punish Illegal Aliens Who Commit Crimes But Reward Parents of Illegal Alien Students

Lacking any consistent rationale, State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), the perpetual sponsor of the Senate’s bills to give illegal alien students taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition, last year co-sponsored a bill allowing judges to give illegal aliens convicted of felonies longer sentences based on their immigration status. The bill was signed into law in 2017. While Gardenhire is willing to punish illegal aliens who commit crimes, he prefers to dismantle state law and reward parents for violating the country’s immigration laws, forcing Tennessee’s taxpayers to provide a free education for the children they brought with them. English Language Learner (ELL) services in Tennessee’s public schools are funded through the state’s education funding formula called the BEP (Basic Education Program) and comes primarily from state and local revenue meaning that every Tennessee taxpayer shares in the cost regardless of which county’s schools are providing the services. State education funding provides 70 percent of the expenditure leaving the local share at 30 percent. In fiscal year 2012, total funding for ELL services was $70 million with the state share at $49 million and the local share at $21 million. The most recent fiscal year’s total funding has grown to $122.3 million with the state share…

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State Sen. Mark Green and State Rep. Bryan Terry Unapologetic About Not Giving In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens

State Rep. Bryan Terry and State Sen. Mark Green

State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and State Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) are clear that the goal of their in-state tuition bill is to block awarding the state benefit to illegal aliens. Their bill augments the Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” with precise language identifying in-state tuition as a state benefit. Terry’s explanation leaves no doubt in this regard: In-state tuition only covers between 25-75 percent of the cost to provide the college education. Taxpayer funds support the rest. That is clearly a state benefit. Any attempt to exclude post secondary assistance in the definition of a state benefit is contrary to the facts and our bill will ensure taxpayers are protected. There are U.S. citizens who live out of state, but pay business or property taxes in Tennessee. They still must pay out of state tuition. We shouldn’t be incentivizing illegal immigrants to take advantage of Tennessee taxpayers when we don’t even provide a courtesy to Americans who are investing in our state. And his bill, HB2101 directly contradicts State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill, HB2429 which is trying to exempt in-state tuition from state law that defines what is a “state or local public benefit.” Last week the House Education Subcommittee…

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State Rep. Mark White Continues to Mislead Legislators on His In-State Tuition Bills

Up for a fourth try to award a statutorily classified “state or local public benefit” to illegal immigrants in Tennessee, Rep. Mark White continues to tell his legislator colleagues that his bill is about education and not immigration even though the state law White needs to change was “based on Congress’s asserted interest in ‘remov[ing] the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’” Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” (EVEA) passed in 2012, classifies in-state tuition is a state benefit. The EVEA requires that: …every state governmental entity and local health department shall verify that each applicant eighteen (18) years of age or older, who applies for a federal, state or local public benefit from the entity or local health department, is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States in the manner provided in this chapter. The EVEA defers to the federal law definition of  a “state or local public benefit.” A 2017 opinion issued by Attorney General Herb Slatery notes that this federal law was “based on Congress’s asserted interest in ‘remov[ing] the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’” The federal law which limits the authority of state governments…

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GOP State Rep. Eddie Smith Could Be Deciding Vote in House Education Committee on Bill Rewarding In-State Tuition to Illegals

State Rep. Eddie Smith (R-Knoxville), a member of the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee and Vice-Chair of the full Committee, was nowhere to be found when subcommittee chairman State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) jumped his own bill on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants from number 35 on the agenda to the very first bill to be heard. As The Tennessee Star reported earlier, White’s bill, HB2429, was passed on a voice vote without any discussion other than a strongly worded statement of opposition from State Rep. Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro)  (no relation to Mark White). It will go next to the full Education Committee although it has not been put on the calendar yet. The Senate companion bill, however, is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, March 21st. Smith joined the subcommittee after White’s bill was passed. As to prior in-state tuition bills, Smith’s voting record is more transparent with the exception of the subcommittee votes where bills are passed by voice vote even though legislators have the option to request being recorded specifically as a “no” vote. With regard to Tuesday’s vote, the only recorded “no” vote was from Rep. Dawn White. The first year Eddie Smith served in the Tennessee General Assembly…

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GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Still Retains Appointment to Obama-Created Board Helping Illegal Immigrants Get Free College Education

GOP gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd says he opposes giving illegal immigrants access to the in-state four-year college tuition rate, but is still listed as serving on Obama’s College Promise Campaign board which is working to make state community college scholarships like the Tennessee Promise, available to illegal immigrant students. Almost one year to the date after Obama talked amnesty for illegal immigrants in a Nashville speech, he returned to Tennessee, floated the idea of a national free community college program and shortly thereafter, announced appointments to his newly created College Promise Advisory Board. Randy Boyd who was the ECD Commissioner at the time, was appointed to the board Obama launched in 2015. Obama’s College Promise board is led by the president of the leftist Joyce Foundation and honorary chair Dr. Jill Biden, wife of former Vice-President Joe Biden. It’s website does not hide the College Promise campaign’s intention to include illegal immigrants in the group of students who can access the free education dollars: Who will your Promise program serve? Promise programs use specific eligibility and persistence criteria to determine which students the program will serve and benchmarks for continuation in the program. Some common criteria include: … Citizenship: These programs take into…

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Diane Black on In-State Tuition Bill: ‘I Would Veto It’

Diane Black Would Veto in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrant students

Gubernatorial front-runner Diane Black unequivocally rejected the current efforts underway in the legislature to grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrant students. “I have said many times that if the state legislature were to pass a bill providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, I would veto it. In-state tuition is a benefit provided to legal residents of our state, and it should stay that way,” Black said in a statement, adding: Too many times, so-called conservatives get elected promising to fight against liberal policies, only to embrace them once in office. It’s a shame to see our state legislature do just that, particularly without real debate or even a recorded vote in committee. It’s time for the true conservatives in the legislature to stand up and say no. As The Tennessee Star previously reported, State Representative Mark White (R-Memphis) rammed his newest in-state tuition benefits proposal through the Education Subcommittee Tuesday with a voice vote and no discussion: The Education Subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives passed State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students in Tennessee on a voice vote Tuesday afternoon. Mark White – Education SubcommitteeWith the exception of State Rep. Dawn…

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Education Subcommittee Passes In-State Tuition for Illegals Bill That Dismantles Public Benefits Law on Voice Vote with No Discussion

The Education Subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives passed State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis)  bill granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students in Tennessee on a voice vote Tuesday afternoon. With the exception of State Rep. Dawn White’s (R-Murfreesboro) strongly worded statement opposing White’s bill, no discussion was had by the subcommittee before they passed the bill on a voice vote. Bill sponsor State Rep. Mark White (no relation to State Rep. Dawn White), who chairs the Education Subcommittee, opted to move his bill up from number thirty-five on the agenda to the first one voted on by the subcommittee. White’s bill, HB2429, is his fourth attempt to give illegal immigrant students access to taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition. To do this, White’s bill dismantles state law by removing reduced college tuition from Tennessee’s definition of “state or local public benefit. Stating her opposition to the bill, State Rep. Dawn White noted the high fiscal impact from illegal immigration on Tennessee taxpayers estimated to be $793 million in 2017. She also referenced the magnetizing effect that offering the reduced college tuition would have on Tennessee, a point worth noting since none of Tennessee’s border states offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. Among the…

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Off the Record: In-State Tuition Bill for Illegal Immigrants Must Be in Trouble – Haslam’s Former Chief of Staff to the Rescue?

Remember the first time two Republican legislators filed a bill to give illegal immigrants taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition and when it didn’t pass, House member Richard Floyd started crying? Remember the second time two Republican legislators filed a bill to give illegal immigrants taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition? And Governor Haslam, in his typical can’t-give-a-straight-or-decisive-answer-until-we-know-which-way-the-winds-are-blowing, said “it has merit.” That bill failed also even though Speaker Harwell walked out so she wouldn’t have to cast a vote? And then remember the third time a bill was filed to give illegal immigrants taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition? And Governor Haslam took a picture on the capitol steps with advocates for illegal immigration to make sure all Tennesseans understood he actually supports at least a little bit of illegal immigration, Since Haslam can’t run again it’s okay for him to break the campaign promise he made to demagnetize Tennessee from illegal immigration. When he was desperate to be Governor he promised all kinds of things in writing and told voters that: In order to keep Tennessee a great state, we must also work to provide more and better job opportunities for Tennessee residents. An important part of that effort must be making sure that available jobs are…

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State Rep. Mark White Breaks Promise to Committee Chairman on In-State Tuition Bill

Last year, State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) gave his word to House Education chairman Harry Brooks that he would not try to change state law that currently says taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition is a state benefit. White made that promise with regard to his bill HB660 which removed in-state tuition from the current state law definition of “state or local public benefit” so that it could be provided to illegal immigrants. This year, White has broken that promise by filing a new bill, HB2429 which combines parts of the two in-state tuition bills he sponsored last year, including the section that would redefine “state or local public benefit.” The first in-state tuition bill that White tried to pass last year, HB863, failed to pass the Education Committee in a close 7-6 vote. White deferred his second bill HB660, to the current session. When White first introduced this bill in the Education Subcommittee, Chairman Harry Brooks questioned the section removing in-state tuition from being a state benefit as currently contained in state law. White gave his word that he would amend that section out if the bill was allowed to go before the full Education Committee. The bill failed to pass the Education committee…

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Sen. Gardenhire Bill Removes In-State Tuition From Definition of State Benefit So He Can Give it to Illegal Aliens

Desperate to give illegal alien students in-state college tuition, Sen. Todd Gardenhire’s bill SB2263, removes publicly subsidized reduced college tuition from the current state law definition of “state or local public benefit.” SB2263 would amend Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” which defers to the federal law definition of  a “state or local public benefit.” A 2017 opinion issued by Attorney General Herb Slatery notes that this federal law was “based on Congress’s asserted interest in ‘remov[ing] the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’” But the federal law does permit states to grant public benefits to illegal aliens through state legislation. The AG’s opinion was in response to a 2017 bill sponsored by Gardenhire and Rep. Mark White who is also committed to securing in-state tuition for students unlawfully present in Tennessee. White has sponsored the House companion bills to Gardenhire’s Senate bills. Their 2017 bill would have allowed the governing boards of state colleges and universities to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee but failed in the House Committee in a 6 – 6 tie vote. White “preserved” the bill by rolling it to the 2018 session instead…

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Legislators Raise the Stakes for Illegal Aliens in Tennessee

During Tennessee’s 2017 legislative session, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and freshman Representative Ron Gant (R-Rossville), sponsored a bill that allows judges to “enhance,” or increase the usual sentence for a criminal conviction when the person is also an illegal alien. The bill was passed 28 -3 in the Senate with Democrats Thelma Harper (D-Nashville) and Reginald Tate (D-Memphis) voting in support of the measure. On the House side, the bill passed 66 – 17 with Republican Mark White (R-Memphis) registering as “present and not voting.” Since 2015, White has sponsored multiple bills aimed at granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens. With the passage of the Norris/Gant bill, Tennessee law now states that: If appropriate for the offense and if not already an essential element of the offense, the court shall consider, but is not bound by, the following advisory factors in determining whether to enhance a defendant’s sentence: (28)  At the time the instant offense was committed, the defendant was illegally or unlawfully in the United States. Sentencing enhancements are discretionary so there is no guarantee that judges in Tennessee will apply the new law.  

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GOP State Rep. Candidate Tommy Vallejos Marched With Open Border Groups Demanding Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

Tommy Vallejos, a Montgomery County Commissioner and GOP candidate for Tennessee’s District 67 State House seat currently held by retiring State Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville), has been an advocate for both legal and illegal aliens in Tennessee. Vallejos is the founder and current Chairman of Latinos for Tennessee (L4TN) and former Director for Hispanic Organization for Progress & Education (HOPE), a position he held for almost five years but which is not referenced on his campaign’s website. Pitts’ wife Cynthia served on HOPE’s board during Vallejos’ tenure as director. While leading HOPE, Vallejos joined Soros-backed open border groups including the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) in the 2010 D.C. march organized by the National Immigration Forum. Rally-goers were demanding comprehensive immigration reform that along with border security, would include an amnesty and path to citizenship for illegal aliens. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, considered Congress’ most radical open borders advocate for illegal aliens, was the rally’s keynote speaker. Today, Vallejos tells The Tennessee Star that “I have never been for amnesty, but felt our immigration system was broken (still is) and needed reform.” As a recognized leader of the Latino community, Vallejos who described himself as a “staunch Republican,” opposed a 2006…

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EXCLUSIVE Interview: Joe Carr Standing Firm on Conservative Record in 14th District State Senate Special Election

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — Joe Carr held forth on a range of issues Thursday at Slick Pig BBQ on East Main, a favorite hangout where he feels right at home. In an interview with The Tennessee Star, the conservative State Senate candidate energetically answered questions on immigration, health care and education. Carr announced Monday that he will run for the State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), who late last week was appointed as state director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Tracy’s resignation means there will be a special election within the next few months. Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves also announced this week that he will run for the seat as a Republican. Carr served in the Tennessee State House of Representatives from 2008 to 2014, lost the 2014 Republican U.S. Senate primary to Lamar Alexander, and also lost the 2016 Republican 6th Congressional District primary to Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06). He lives on his family farm in Lascassas and is semi-retired after having founded and sold two engineering firms. In recent years, he has become known for his T-Bones and Politics fundraisers featuring big-name guest speakers. Viewed as a solid conservative by his admirers, Carr is against the…

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Tennessee State Legislators Caved to Leftists on ‘Soft Amnesty’ Instead of Upholding Constitution

Tennessee Star

  Sixteen Republicans in the State Senate and twenty-seven in the House caved to the demands of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) when they voted to give in-state tuition to illegal aliens with deferred deportation under DACA, or who might become eligible for DACA. DACA does not alter a grantee’s illegal immigration status. Ignoring the illegal immigration issue and offering a “soft amnesty” to DACA illegal aliens, the forty-three Republicans voting “aye” for the Gardenhire/White 2015 in-state tuition bill, also voted to violate federal and Tennessee law. These lawmakers also ignored the fact that Obama’s DACA policy was neither a statutory nor Constitutional exercise of executive authority. Republican Senators voting for the 2015 in-state tuition bill:  Janice Bowling, Richard Briggs, Rusty Crowe, Steve Dickerson, Todd Gardenhire, Mark Green, Dolores Gresham, Ferrell Haile, Ed Jackson, Brian Kelsey, Becky Duncan-Massey, Randy McNally, Frank Niceley, Doug Overbey, Steve Southerland, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. Republican House members voting for in-state tuition: Harry Brooks, Kevin Brooks, Kent Calfee, Dale Carr, Mike Carter, Bill Dunn, Jimmy Eldridge, Andrew Farmer, Marc Gravitt, Mike Harrison, Ryan Haynes, Patsy Hazlewood, Bud Hulsey, Curtis Johnson, Sabi Kumar, Pat Marsh, Gerald McCormick, Steve McDaniel, Steve McManus, Bob Ramsey,…

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Teach For America Says Their ‘DACAmented’ Trainees Can Tell Tennessee Students About Living Illegally in U.S.

  Teach For America (TFA)  is “actively recruit[ing]” illegal aliens who have been granted temporary deportation through the unconstitutional DACA program. After one month of TFA summer training the “DACAmented teacher” can be placed in a Tennessee public school. Over one hundred “DACAmented” trainees are currently teaching in schools around the U.S. to date, and TFA is actively working to find more schools that are willing to employ illegal aliens who were given temporary work permits. In 2006, Memphis began partnering with TFA and three years later, Metro Nashville Public Schools followed. In 2014, the Islamic Center of Nashville whose president Rashed Fakhruddin helps train Metro middle and high school teachers, hosted TFA recruits at the mosque. Passionate about supporting the “DREAM Act” and educating “undocumented students,” TFA tells its DACAmented recruits that a personal story of living in the U.S. illegally can influence students : Picture standing in front of a classroom, having grown up undocumented. Imagine having the opportunity to share your story from fearing deportation to the day you graduated from college, and what it was like to get admitted to Teach For America. Think about the impact your story could have on your students, both those born in…

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‘Drive to 55’ Likely Gives ‘Tennessee Promise Scholarship’ to Illegal Immigrants in a Boyd Administration

Tennessee Star

Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd takes full credit for the “Drive to 55” higher education umbrella initiative which includes programs like the Tennessee Promise scholarship, but has made no definitive statement to date about whether illegal immigrants should be permitted access to this benefit or in-state college tuition. Boyd, however, is a named member of an organization that pushes state and local policymakers to support giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students and he has used his philanthropy to help expand an entrepreneurship program whose services are available to illegal aliens. He is also a board member of the “College Promise Campaign” which wants a universal and free entitlement for the first two years of a higher education. The board is led by the president of the leftist Joyce Foundation and honorary chair Dr. Jill Biden, wife of former Vice-President Joe Biden. A briefing book for state leaders posted on the College Promise website, Making Public Colleges Tuition Free, includes a reference to the “alternative application for undocumented students” used by two states for their college promise scholarships. Boyd also has six state legislators working to get him elected as governor, four of whom voted to give illegal immigrant students access to in-state college tuition.…

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Tennessee Star Poll: 84 Percent of Republican Primary Voters Reject In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Star Poll conducted of 1,007 likely Republican primary voters in the state shows they reject in-state college tuition for illegal aliens by a stunning 84 percent to 11 percent margin. When asked “In 2018, the Tennessee General Assembly is expected to reconsider a bill to provide in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students. Do you support or oppose providing in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students?” Tennessee likely Republican primary voters resoundingly rejected the idea–with high levels of intensity. 68.9% Strongly Disapproved 15.5% Somewhat Disapproved 5.9% Somewhat Approved 5.2% Strongly Approved 4.5% Not Sure/don’t know In-state tuition for illegal aliens and repeal of the gas tax increase are likely to be two of the hottest topics of the 2018 election in the gubernatorial race as well as a number of contested state legislative races. Two bills proposed in this year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly introduced by State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) that promised in-state tuition at Tennessee’s public colleges failed to become law. One bill, HB660, “would authorize the new college and university governing boards to decide which students are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates.” Another bill, HB 863,…

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Mark White’s In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students Will be Back in 2018

  In the House Education committee today, State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) moved his second bill, HB660 that would legalize in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students in Tennessee, to the 2018 legislative session. Last week when this bill failed in committee on a 6-6 vote, White indicated he would seek a motion for the committee to reconsider their action on the bill, but likely discovered that he could not overcome the required procedural hurdle. Moving his bill to 2018, allows him to avoid having the motion to reconsider fail, earning yet another strike against his campaign to secure in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students. White’s first bill this year that would have granted in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, HB863, was voted down in committee in a 7-6 vote.  This bill closely tracked the language of his 2015 bill, HB675, that failed on the House floor by one vote. During an earlier House Education subcommittee hearing on White’s HB660, concern was raised by Chairman Harry Brooks, as to whether Section 5 of the bill would allow the school governing boards to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students because that section removes the paying of in-state tuition from being a state…

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If Education Committee Follows House Rules Mark White’s Bill Will Fail Again

Section 5 of Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill, HB660, would have allowed the governing boards of state colleges and universities to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. Despite amending his bill to remove Section 5, the bill failed for lack of a majority in the House Education committee this week. If the Education committee follows the Permanent Rules of Order of the Tennessee House of Representatives the 110th General Assembly, White’s bill will not be revived for a new vote by the committee. White has put his bill back “on notice” for the committee’s meeting on Tuesday, April 18th.  However, before the committee can vote on the bill again, a motion for reconsideration would need to be offered and passed. It has been confirmed with the House Office of the Chief Clerk, that a motion to reconsider White’s bill would have to be offered by a committee member of the “prevailing party.” It was also confirmed that when a bill fails to achieve a majority vote as in this case of the 6-6 vote on White’s bill, the “prevailing party” would be someone who voted against the bill. Should any of the committee members who voted “no,” move to reconsider the…

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BREAKING: Mark White’s Second Bill That Would Have Granted In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants Fails

Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) second bill, HB660, that if left unamended, would have allowed the governing boards of state colleges and universities to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, failed in the House Education committee for lack of a majority on a 6-6 vote. During committee testimony, the TN Board of Regents lobbyist explained that for their institutions, this bill was about revenue – filling seats in their schools and being able to make their own rules about border state recruiting.  The UT lobbyist explained that flexibility in being able to offer in-state tuition as part of the universities’ business model could be more beneficial than the revenue generated by out-of-state tuition. In sponsoring this bill, Rep. White wanted to uniformly expand the authority of the new school governing boards that were created by the Governor’s FOCUS Act, but White also used the bill as an opportunity to have a second bite at the apple to give illegal immigrant students access to in-state tuition should his other bill, HB863 fail to pass.  That bill was defeated in the House Education committee yesterday. During an earlier House Education subcommittee hearing, concern was raised by Chairman Harry Brooks, as to whether…

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Next Bill That Could Grant In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrant Students on Education Calendar Today

  Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) and Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) have sponsored two bills this session that would grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. HB863 failed in the House Education committee Tuesday on a 7-6 vote but Rep. White’s other bill, HB660, looks like it will be the first bill considered by the committee on Wednesday morning. This White/Gardenhire bill would authorize the new college and university governing boards to decide which students are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates. “The bill is designed to allow each local community and institution to do what is best for their institution” is how Rep. White’s office described the bill in an email to the Tennessee Star. Importantly, however, HB660 “exempts the extension of in-state tuition that this amendment provides from the definition of ‘state or local public benefit’ under the ‘Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act’” according to an earlier email statement from Paul Marsh in Rep. White’s office. Last year, the Tennessee legislature passed Governor Haslam’s FOCUS Act enabling the six universities in the Board of Regents system, including Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State University and MTSU to have their own boards that among other duties, will oversee tuition. When White’s HB660…

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Rep. Mark White Says ‘Right Thing to Do’ to Help Illegal Immigrant Student Go to UT Law School; Committee Rejects His In-State Tuition Bill

  Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) applauded the testimony of an illegal immigrant student before the House Education committee moments before his bill to provide in-state tuition to all illegal immigrant students failed to pass the committee on Tuesday. Karla Mesa Cruz from Knoxville told the committee today that she wants to go to UT Knoxville and get a law degree from UT Knoxville Law School. She told the committee that she had come to Knoxville when she was three but when she began to investigate going to college, learned that she would have to pay out-of-state tuition.  She told the committee she just didn’t “understand why.” Rep. Mark White told the committee that this was the third time he was trying to pass a bill that would allow illegal immigrant students to pay in-state tuition, because “it’s the right thing to do.” Repeating many of the same talking points as in years past, White’s bill was defeated on a narrow vote of 7 against and 6 in favor on Tuesday. Democrats Raumesh Akbari, Johnnie Turner, John DeBerry and Craig Fitzhugh voted yes, joined by Republicans Mark White and Harry Brooks. Republicans voting no were Jimmy Matlock, Eddie Smith, Terri Lynn…

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Open Borders La Raza Affiliate Adds Office in Memphis

Tennessee Star

Nashville based TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), a formal affiliate of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), recently opened an office in Memphis. They are sharing office space with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (MSPJC), a “multi-issue, multi-race organization whose mission is to engage, organize, and mobilize communities to realize social justice through nonviolent action.” TIRRC has been the lead organization lobbying for “tuition equality” (meaning citizens and illegal immigrants get the same state benefit), when the first bill was introduced in 2014.  MSPJC, itself a coalition of member organizations was an early supporter of the campaign for “tuition equality.” Establishing a store-front in Memphis brings TIRRC back to its roots since it’s first executive director, David Lubell started his advocacy career with Latino Memphis as a community organizer, leaving in 2001, to start TIRRC in Nashville with an early infusion of funding from a U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement grant to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for the Building the New American Community initiative, a pilot program designed to facilitate immigration and integration in non-traditional gateway cities like Nashville. The grant emphasized training new immigrants how to be civically engaged which translated into working for political power…

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In-State College Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students No Guarantee for Future Employment

  Rep. Mark White’s bill, HB863 that would allow illegal immigrant students to pay in-state college tuition in Tennessee, scheduled for a vote this week, was rolled to next week. The companion bill, SB1014 passed by the Senate Education committee will be put on the calendar in Senate Finance, Ways & Means. During discussion of the bill in the Senate Education committee, Sen. Gardenhire, the bill sponsor in the Senate, confirmed that any criteria that would have restricted the beneficiaries of the 2017 bill to grantees of the Obama Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, had been removed. Criminal histories aside, individuals who entered the U.S. illegally and were “born after June 15, 1981 is within—and shall remain within—DACA’s age requirements” are eligible to apply. If approved, DACA grantees receive a two-year temporary deportation deferment and work authorization which then enables applying for a social security number and a driver’s license. Grantees can apply to renew their DACA status at the two year expiration. Importantly, being granted DACA status does not change the individual’s illegal immigration status. Broadening the scope of the revised 2017 bill as compared to the 2015 version that failed to pass on the House floor, means that…

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Tennessee Farm Bureau Wants In-State Tuition For Illegal Immigrant Students

Tennessee Star - Top Story

  The Tennessee Farm Bureau (TFB) is reputed to be the largest farm bureau in the country. Its mission statement is: To develop, foster, promote and protect programs for the general welfare, including economic, social, educational and political well-being of farm people of the great state of Tennessee. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), is a non-profit organization with affiliate farm bureaus in all 50 states, including Tennessee. In 2016 the AFBF reported employing eighteen registered lobbyists. Among the services the AFBF provides is training new state farm bureau presidents. In 2013, like the AFBF, the TFB issued a statement of support for the proposed comprehensive immigration reform bill that the Congressional Budget Office concluded a category of “legalization” for illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. “The Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation is proud to stand today beside our friends with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry and our fellow business families in support of S.744 the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act. We believe this bipartisan immigration bill is a balanced reform bill, it includes fair and workable farm labor provisions, and it will help ensure an adequate supply of farm labor. After Congress failed to pass…

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Randy Boyd Uses Haslam’s ‘Leadership Tennessee’ to Advance His Gubernatorial Platform

Tennessee Star

  Leadership Tennessee, a program funded by Governor Haslam and his allies, was launched to promote “collaborative leadership” across political, cultural and business lines that could problem-solve for the “common good.” Complete Tennessee is gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s initiative to “complete the mission of education and economic development initiatives” of the Haslam administration. According to the President of The Cornerstone Foundation a funder and early promoter of Leadership Tennessee, a “terrific example of collaboration in action” was SCORE’s Executive Director Jamie Woodson, the biggest and most well-financed lobbyist for Common Core in Tennessee. Common Core standards championed by the Obama Department of Education, the Gates Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a cornerstone of Haslam’s education reform platform during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Haslam’s plan to fully embed these standards into Tennessee’s K-12 system was derailed in 2013 by House conservatives. Five months before announcing himself as a gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd who describes himself as a  political “moderate,” launched Complete Tennessee, “a nonprofit 501(c)3 education advocacy organization focused on increasing postsecondary access and completion in Tennessee.” Boyd is getting help in his “complete” mission from fellow Leadership Tennessee classmate, Janet Ayers who is a Complete Tennessee and SCORE board…

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Gardenhire Says Illegal Immigrant Students Will Pay For Empty Seats in State Colleges

The Gardenhire/White bills SB1014/HB863 granting in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students are moving through their respective chambers.  As reported by The Tennessee Star, the Senate Education Committee passed Gardenhire’s bill last week in a 7-2 vote.  Yesterday, the House Education Subcommittee on Planning & Administration was passed on a voice vote by Republican members Harry Brooks, Mark White, Eddie Smith and Democrats John DeBerry and Johnnie Turner. Rep. Dawn White asked to be recorded as a no vote. The House bill is scheduled to be heard by the full Education Planning & Administration Committee next Tuesday, and the Senate bill has been referred to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee. Gardenhire’s first attempt in 2014, never made it out of the Education Committee. The 2015 version of the Gardenhire/White bill passed the Senate 21-12. Despite a 49-47 House vote in favor of the bill it failed to achieve the constitutionally required 50 vote minimum. Illegal immigrant students including any student granted a temporary two-year deferred deportation under Obama’s DACA program, are ineligible for federal financial aid for school. However, states and individual schools have discretion to provide financial assistance. Tennessee’s HOPE lottery scholarship can be used at both four…

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Guest Commentary: ‘Gardenhire Republicans’ Want Subsidized Education for Illegal Immigrants and Sanctuary Campuses

Tennessee Star

By: Karen Lees The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reports that the burden of illegal immigration on taxpayers in Tennessee for both state and local expenditures jumped from $285 million in 2007 to $547 million in 2013, according to a FAIR 2013 study. To add to that burden, proposed legislation that would grant eligibility for illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition is being considered this session by legislators at the Tennessee State Capitol. In most cases, the discount for in-state tuition is roughly 50%, leaving Tennessee taxpayers with half the cost of tuition for each illegal student. Senator Todd Gardenhire’s SB 0635 & SB 1014 and Representative Mark White’s HB 0660 & HB 0863 seek to abdicate the legislature’s delegated authority to a Board of Regents or other un-elected body governing Tennessee’s post secondary schools. With slumping attendance rates, the decision left to un-elected boards to fill empty seats in the classroom will take priority over compliance with federal immigration law and public safety. The summary for SB0635 states: This bill authorizes the governing body of each public institution of higher education to determine the qualifications that students must possess to be eligible for payment of in-state tuition and fees.…

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Gardenhire and White Broaden Scope of In-State Tuition Bill to Cover More Illegal Immigrant Students, Including ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’

State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and State Rep. Mark White (R-Chattanooga) have broadened the scope of the 2017 version of the in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students bill they have introduced to the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The 2015  Gardenhire/White bill that would have given in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students was restricted to grantees of Obama’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 2017 version of the bill now applies to illegal immigrant students classified in the “Unaccompanied Alien Child” (UAC) category of immigration status. In his much publicized radio meltdown with WWTN’s Ralph Bristol on Friday, Sen. Gardenhire described an illegal immigrant his bill would provide in-state tuition benefits to as “somebody that’s got a 4.0 average, was the valedictorian of their class.” But some UACs who would potentially be eligible for these taxpayer funded tuition breaks are not exactly the model citizens Gardenhire described. In 2013, sixteen year old Edwin Mejia, a UAC from Honduras, was transported to Tennessee and released into the custody of his brother, an illegal immigrant living north of Nashville in Madison, Tennessee. The following year the two brothers moved to Nebraska where Edwin struck and killed 21-year old…

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Legislators Who Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrant Students Are Voting to Violate State Law

Tennessee Star

Last week when the state’s Senate Education Committee voted to give in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students, the seven committee members that passed SB1014 also voted to violate a 2012 Tennessee law. By voting to pass SB1014, Senators Gresham, Tate, and Tracy voted against the “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” (EVEA), the law they had each voted to pass in 2012. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and Senators Crowe, Dickerson, and Haile also voted yes. Senators Hensley and Kelsey voted no. Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) was a named co-sponsor of the EVEA. The 2012 EVEA, which the  TN Board of Regents’ General Counsel confirmed last week, classifies in-state tuition is a state benefit. The EVEA requires that: “…every state governmental entity and local health department shall verify that each applicant eighteen (18) years of age or older, who applies for a federal, state or local public benefit from the entity or local health department, is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States in the manner provided in this chapter.” Only U.S. citizens and “qualified aliens” are considered eligible to apply for benefits under this Tennessee law which defines “qualified alien” by referencing federal law.…

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Haslam’s ‘Drive to 55’ Used to Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrant Students

During this week’s sessions in a House Education Subcommittee and the Senate Education Committee, Governor Haslam’s education agenda “Drive to 55” was the reason given for needing to pass bills that make illegal immigrant students in Tennessee eligible for in-state college tuition. “Drive to 55″ refers to Haslam’s higher education reform umbrella that includes the TN Promise, LEAP,  TN Reconnect and TN Advise” programs which are each intended to “increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or credential to 55 percent by the year 2025.” Tennessee Star previously reported that Rep. White and Sen. Todd Gardenhire were carrying two sets of bills (SB104/HB863 and SB635/HB660), that if passed, would make in-state college tuition rates available to illegal immigrant students. On Tuesday, Rep. Mark White’s bill, HB660 which would authorize the new college and university governing boards to decide which students are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates was taken up by the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee. Almost immediately, Rep. Harry Brooks asked White whether he “intended this bill to create a mechanism for folks who are illegally in the country” to get in-state tuition? White admitted “that is where this thought came from.” He also admitted that…

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Two Legislators Push for In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students

Florida and Texas are moving to repeal in-state college tuition for illegal immigrant students, including grantees of Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In Tennessee, two legislators will try a third time to give illegal immigrant students the in-state tuition benefit. In 2014, Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and Rep. Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga) introduced the first bill, SB1951/HB1992 that tried to give in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students living in Tennessee. The bill was shelved and Rep. Floyd retired at the end of that legislative session. In 2015, Sen. Gardenhire and Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) introduced SB612/HB675. During the bill’s debate they identified DACA grantees as the intended beneficiaries. The “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” was a unilateral directive issued by President Obama that granted a renewable two-year deferred deportation, work permit and social security number to individuals meeting the program’s criteria.  DACA did not grant legal immigration status. In committee Rep. White described DACA applicants as children brought to our state “when they were 2,3,4,5,6,7 years of age and they have grown up here due to no fault of their own.” According to the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs & Immigration (USCIS), DACA applicants must have…

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