Stephen Tillotson is an undeclared sophomore. He can be contacted at [email protected]. One issue that is looming large in the current presidential race is that of control and law reform concerning illegal immigration. Several bills were brought up in order to reform immigration laws and better keep illegal immigrants out of the United States in 2006 and 2007, but none were passed.
The current immigration laws have not been very effective at ridding the U.S. of illegal immigrants, but many of the presidential hopefuls have spoken adamantly about what they will do to enforce the laws and how illegal immigrants will be kept behind the border (e.g. building a wall hundreds of miles long between Mexico and the U.S.)
While talk of stricter enforcement of immigration laws and wall-building plans may sound impressive, it is still just talk.
Many states have grown tired of mere babble about cracking down on illegal immigration, especially border states. According to a New York Times report, the state of Arizona took matters into its own hands in 2006 when it passed a law known as “Proposition 300.”
This proposition prohibits college students who cannot prove their legal residency from receiving state financial aid or in-state tuition.
The state voted for the proposition because it felt that the federal government was not doing enough to prevent illegal immigration in Arizona. A Republican representative from the state, John Kavanaugh, said Arizona “has been overwhelmed … with crime … and depression of our wages.”
Due to the lack of federal involvement in this illegal immigration quandary, Arizona has to punish Mexican-American college-age students who are not legal residents of the U.S.
Many of the affected students have lived and gone to school in America almost all their lives.
Because of the illegal immigrants who create crime problems and take jobs away from Americans, students who want to pursue higher education have a harder time paying college tuition.
This is obviously unfair, but it is necessary for a state like Arizona to keep out illegal immigrants somehow because there is no real federal help.
I feel bad for those who want to receive financial assistance for college but cannot because they have no legal residency or at least no proof.
However, until the state can figure out another solution to the illegal immigration equation, those students need to learn to live with it or take the necessary steps to become a legal U.S. resident.
I think the State of Arizona and its government agencies could alleviate the tension felt by illegal residents who want to go to college by creating an ad campaign that tells them about “Proposition 300” and why it was passed.
Also, the ads could give information on how to achieve legal residency and could encourage illegal immigrants to become legal and continue their pursuit of education.
In this situation, the state of Arizona did the best they could to create a deterrent for illegal immigrants – it just so happens that “Proposition 300” tends to “punish” illegal residents who are here in the U.S. for the right reasons.
Those students who are negatively affected need to realize that the proposition is not intended to punish them. If the students and the state of Arizona will be tolerant of one another, they will both come out alright.
Could there be a better way to deter illegal immigration in Arizona? Well, there could be, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a solution that works well for all parties and doesn’t ruffle any feathers.
I think the state of Arizona should be proud that they passed such a law without federal help, and other border states should gain some confidence after such decisive action by their neighbor.