Bills would assist college students

Monday, April 14, 2003 | 9:20 a.m.

Activists rallied at the George Federal Building over the weekend in support of a bill that would give students who are illegal immigrants access to federal education grants for college.

About 50 students along with Hispanic activists and a representative of the office of Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., attended Saturday's rally.

It was organized by the Student Organization of Latinos, or SOL, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Community College of Southern Nevada.

SOL, nearly 400 members strong, announced plans to start a letter-writing campaign to Nevada's congressional delegation to support the legislation.

"We wanted to notify the community that there are thousands of students who can't go (forward) with their education because they're locked up in the process of becoming residents and don't qualify for financial aid or the lower tuition rates," said Chelsie Campbell, organizer of the event for SOL.

Last week, a bill called the Student Adjustment Act was introduced in the House of Representatives, and a similar bill called the DREAM Act will soon be introduced in the Senate.

The bills would allow certain immigrant students to change their status to resident, the step below citizen. It would also give them access to federal grants, as well as allowing states to charge the students lower, in-state tuition rates, instead of the higher, out-of-state rates currently charged.

The legislation could help as many as 60,000 students a year nationwide, according to La Raza, a Washington-based civil rights group.

Campbell, a first-year law student at UNLV, was born in Las Vegas to a Cuban mother and an American father, but she said many of her friends are being held back in their desires to continue their educations.

Melissa Lazarin, education policy analyst for La Raza, the group coordinating a series of rallies nationwide in support of the bills, said the legislation "addresses an issue of fairness."

"These are students and families that are taxpayers ... they speak English, are part of our communities and could do so much given the chance," she said.

But Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a group that favors tougher immigration laws and increased enforcement, said that the bills are "the camel's nose under the tent."

"Let's call this what it is," he said. "An amnesty."

Krikorian said the bills were "part of a strategy to find the most sympathetic group of illegal aliens in order to create an environment for broader illegal alien amnesties.

"Superficially, it sounds appealing, but in the absence of vigorous enforcement of immigration laws it sends the wrong message," he said.

Amy Spanbauer, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the congressman hadn't seen the Student Adjustment Act, but that "his position with regards to accessing services such as in-state tuition is that they should be reserved for residents and those who are trying to become citizens through legal means."

Michael O'Donovan of Berkley's office said Berkley supports the House bill.

"We cannot penalize these kids for the actions of their parents," he said.

"They will be a part of our workforce whether they go to school or not and it seems counter-productive to deny smart, successful kids the chance to continue their education."

A spokeswoman for Rep. Jon Porter's office declined to comment on the bill.

Lazarin, of La Raza, said the bills should not be overly politicized.

"This is an issue of education, not immigration," she said.