OPINION & EDITORIAL
The key word is ‘illegal’
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Also by Matt Modell:
- Taking responsibility for your decisions (April 24, 2003)
- An honorable and just battle (November 20, 2003)
- Fixing the problems of ASM (November 25, 2003)
- The key word is 'illegal' (December 4, 2003)
- A fond farewell to UW (December 11, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Readers smoke 'em out of their holes (April 13, 2007)
- Pelosi's style prevents progress (November 28, 2006)
- Pelosi's visit to Syria necessary (April 9, 2007)
- Illegal immigration can aid Dems (November 3, 2006)
- It's Nov. 9, now what do we do? (November 9, 2006)
by Matt Modell
Thursday, December 4, 2003
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) criticized INS raids on dozens of Wal-Mart stores in a search that nabbed approximately 250 illegal immigrants. According to Pelosi, the raids amounted to “terrorizing” workers, because “it instills a great deal of fear in people who are only trying to earn a living.”
Pelosi misses the same point that so many people do: these immigrants are not people who have applied for legal residency, have work visas and went through the normal steps needed to gain U.S. citizenship. Rather, these people have decided to skip every step millions of other people have gone through and have instead decided to come to this country illegally.
No one should be rewarded for breaking federal law.
Unfortunately, there is a proposal to reward people for breaking federal law with cheap college tuition, and Chancellor Wiley supports the idea.
Proposed legislation in the Wisconsin Assembly would allow illegal immigrants who have been in Wisconsin for at least one year access to in-state tuition. This means that a person living 90 minutes away in Illinois and a legal U.S. citizen would pay $14,010 more this year to attend UW-Madison than a person who is not even legally in this country.
Out-of-state U.S. residents and legal immigrants are legally in this country and certainly should not receive fewer benefits than those who are not even legally in this country. Simple fairness should at least count for a little.
One reason for differential tuition for in- and out-of-state residents is that state tax dollars help fund universities, and therefore state taxpayers are charged less for a tuition they have been contributing to their entire life. Illegal immigrants do not pay state or federal taxes, meaning illegal immigrants do not contribute to funding any university.
Proponents of this legislation argue it is the parents who bring their children to the United States, and the children did not have a say in that decision. However, regardless of whether the child had a say in coming to this country illegally, the fact is they did come to this country and did so because it provided them a better life. People do not voluntary move because they are looking for a worse life. Not to mention, if a child did not have a choice to come to the United States, and really did not want to, he or she can leave the country at age 18.
Favorable policies for illegal immigrants will only promote more illegal immigration, which will be a drain on this country’s economy and the state’s economy. In-state tuition does not cover the actual cost of attending the University. Taxpayer money is meant primarily to benefit taxpayers — not to be drained to provide cheap education for non-U.S. citizens.
As a nation, the United States was founded on immigrants, and immigration is still an important part of what makes our nation great. For many people in other nations, it is the “American Dream” to come to the United States, where a person can live freely and have the opportunity to succeed.
The system for determining eligibility and granting visas to the United States may not be perfect, and a thorough and serious review should be conducted to improve the immigration process to ensure safety and security of this nation, as well as giving opportunities to people who want to come to this country for a better opportunity.
However, while immigration is necessary, open borders and relaxed immigration rules only hurt the United States.
Matt Modell (mmodell@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism and political science.
