In-State Tuition Law Now Haunts Candidate Perry
In 2004, Karla Reséndiz graduated near the top of her class at Rockwall High School outside of Dallas. She was a member of the National Honor Society, captain of the fencing team and the leader of the school's junior Rotary Club.
From there, Reséndiz went on to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree with honors in 2010 after completing the University of Texas at Austin's six-year program. She paid the same in-state tuition rate any other Texas student would to attend the flagship public university. Now, Reséndiz and others like her find themselves engulfed in ...
Comments (18)
Jalapeno Schwartz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I pledge allegience to the 9 digits... where has sanity gone?
Wendy Melton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
And corporations are people, too, right?
V Marshall
This is where we fell down on this legislation. We should have encouraged these students to apply for student visas so that they would have had a shot at a green card upon graduation. All they would have had to do is to return home and take their admission letters to the U.S. embassy. Now we have provided them with a very expensive education that they cannot use in the US. The DREAM Act is not going to pass because it grants legal status to everyone under age 35 who orders a GED certificate online. I think even Congress is smart enough to know that they can't deceive the American public like that without backlash.
Bobbi Reichert Kessler via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's so strange that the one compassionate thing Perry says becomes hugely controversial.
Cristi Parker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Amen!
Gabriel Shans
I cannot feel sorry for this woman. She and her family are in this country illegally. She admits on camera that her family knowingly broke the law instead of going back to their country when their visas expired.
I do not believe that anyone in this situation should receive our sympathy or understanding. In the future, I would be willing to see citizenship granted to people, like this woman, who achieve a post-graduate degree or who serve in the US military, but I cannot in good conscience agree with giving anyone who gets a G.E.D. or high school diploma citizenship simply for that accomplishment.
This woman, as it stands now, has no chance to legally work in her chosen field in this country. Her education and training would probably serve her well in her home country. It might not seem fair to this woman, who has been here since she was 12, to have to return to a country she does not see as home, but her options would most likely expand more there than here. I imagine it would also be easier for her to gain a new visa if, once back in her home country, she reapplied as a Pharm.D. graduate with a few years work experience in her field.
Rubia Valente
Marshall,
If someone is in "limbo" and leaves the US, s/he will not be able to get a F-1 visa so easily as you suggest.
"Limbo" is when you enter the US in a visa, such as H-4 (dependent of worker) and when the sponsor (worker) applies for a green card or for renewal, the immigration department either denies it and you appeal and it goes to court (which can take forever) or they say that they have accepted everything and for you to wait (which can also take forever).
The problem is that Immigration is years behind in the cases that they are reviewing and the case of her family has not been examined yet.
If a student in "limbo" leaves and goes to their homecountry to try to get a visa, it may be denied, b/c immigration officer can deny visas for whatever reason they see fit, and being in "limbo" is technically being on an "illegal" stage, and that can be an excuse for them to deny it.
If her visa is denied, she may not see her family again for a long time.
It's easy to say, " just get your admission letter and go to the U.S. embassy and get yourself a visa."
It's not so easy in practice.I know of several cases that people did just that and had their visas denied.
Besides, she entered the US on a visa. What failed her was the US immigration system, that failed to renew her status in a speedy way.
Another important point: In order to get a F-1 visa you must prove that you have on a checking account about $49,520 in dollars for UTAustin (which is to cover your expenses and tuition). Now, most people, even upper middle class Americans, don't have that amount just sitting on the bank.
Besides that, as an F-1 student there is no guarantee that a foreigner student will get a job that will sponsor them for a green card in the future. So, as you can see, it is not so easy. If it were that easy, I guarantee that a lot of people would have done that.
No one wants to be in this situation, and I bet that if there were anything that they could do that would GUARANTEE that she would stay in the US legally, she would. Most undocumented immigrants are afraid of being sent back and losing the chance to come back, and being away from their families.
One last thing, undocumented immigrants are also providing education for themselves.
They pay taxes.
It may be a surprise to most people but not only Americans pay taxes.
You are not paying for it yourselves, everybody is, including undocumented immigrants.
People are not breaking the law, the law is broken, and as it stands it does not provide a path to citizenship so easily as most Americans would like to think.
tanya flores
the illegal immigrants coming to America, are forced in many ways, sometimes in their countries of origin they do not have sufficient documents to obtain a visa to come to the usa, and that does not mean they are criminals, they are just looking for ways to achieve the dream of come to be part of the United States.
Now, if you say they are criminals for being here illegally, you’re wrong
because my opinion is that the ancestors of the natives born here in America were once illegal.
the United States invade other countries with their armies under the guise of bringing order to other countries, but its a lie.
So the United States are criminals
God, blessed for many years this nation to bring order to the world, providing love one's neighbor across the planet, and the only thing you see today in countries is VIOLENCE, VICES, IGNORANCE GOD, CORRUPTION .
There are a lot of racism by a small group here in the U.S.
but God continues to observe the actions of every human being even the rulers, and I'm sure that if such feelings and actions are still valid, God with all his spiritual power will bring a great punishment to the entire planet.
I hope in the name of Jesus Christ and Jehovah in His infinite power and bring a government order to this planet where the human law has failed.
REMEMBER BOUNDARIES SHOULD NOT BE EXISTING.
Thomas Ferstl
Maybe Texas should start by making e-verify mandatory for all employees presently working in Texas and fining those corporations/companies that have illegals working for them. Someone needs to really check out companies like C&S Custom Installations who laid off white workers in favor of Mexican workers who are working at the Marriott Motel on MoPak in Austin! And, maybe when corporations like Marriott do not permit contracts with companies that do not use e-verify, things will change!
David Spratt
Unemployment is officially at 9.1 % . Over the last five years average legal entry into the US is almost 95,000 people per month. How many illegally enter is anyone's guess. O jobs were created in August 2011 , only 70,000 were created in the previous two months. And some claim we should make it easier to come here? This is pure madness. We cannot even keep our own Citizens employed and provide services for them. Immigration should be tightened up and restricted further , not made easier. This is not 1900 and yes our system is broken . it is far too easy to get here now. Just because everyone who wants to come is not allowed is no reason to make it easier for them to do so. Keep dreaming, the tide is changing and it is a question of law and self preservation. Support illegals, increased immigration , and amnesty and you are sealing your own fate as well as all Americans. You may not have been personally affected yet , but there are plaenty of American Citizens who have been. What do you have to say to them?
Thomas Ferstl
To Tanya Flores
When anyone breaks the law, they are a criminal! You can try and spin it anyway you wish but they are criminals and they ARE taking jobs away from citizens! Quite frankly I don't really care if they cannot get visas but to circumvent our US Laws is criminal and everyone of them should be deported and if found back in the US, throw them in Prison in the general population.
David Spratt
Tanya, It would be impossible for Your statement " So the United States are criminals," to be true. The United States is not an individual and as a nation , in it's entirety cannot be considered guilty of a crime. Only individual persons are capable of being charged with a crime. Your opinion that natives were once Illegal does not specify whether you are referring to aboriginal peoples arriving subsequent to the first inhabitants or Natural Citizens , Americans through the legal concept of jus soli or jus sanguinis? You go on to say that for many years God blessed this country to bring order to the world. How pray tell, did we accomplish this without an armed military? Did we defeat the Nazis or the Japanese simply by asking them nicely to behave themselves? The world is full of discord and violence , as you note. The United States is not responsible for this, the people living in those locations are responsible . You seem to share the opinion of a small Minority of people that condemn and hate the United States and blame the country as well as the people within it for all the ills of the entire world. I would say the number of racist people you mention are probably equal in number to those such as yourself that lay blame for all the worlds problems at the feet of the United States. Personally I would cut all aid , assistance and military interventions in 99% of the world. I would strongly suggest maybe you would consider moving to a more peaceful less militaristic and kinder gentler nation. Perhaps Mexico , Columbia, Iran, ect where people are kind to each other and nothing bad happens. If you continue to reside here with the Godless, cruel heartless heathens who call themselves Americans, you risk being indoctrinated and contaminated with our twisted ideologies and worse yet , hen the wrath of God is brought down upon our heads , you will be right in the line of fire as well. I would leave as soon as I could in order to preserve your soul as well as possibly your life.
gypsy314 ne
Perry should go to Mexico and run for president since he loves the illegal aliens so much. And leave our tax money alone.
gypsy314 ne
I guess the laws of our country only apply to Americans. Mean while illegal aliens and homosexuals get a free pass on out tax dollar. Something is wrong with that picture. I say if the illegals and gays get a pass then we should also. So fellow American what law should we choose to get a pass on??? Lets ask our congress and senators what law can we break and get a pass on it. I know it is a one way street with the Democrats and our dictator Obama. I just heard Obama has told the chaplains to marry the homosexuals gay people. If they do not then they will be pass over for promotions. Lets see Obama and Holder cherry picking laws to enforce. I guess we all have that right now.
gypsy314 ne
Perry cherry picks the laws to obey just like Obama! Must be nice to do what the hell you want with no worries.
Edward Van Orden
I feel sorry for the illegal immigrants and their children, however, they are a drain on the states economics. And no, I do not believe all Hispanics/ Latino/ Mexicans are here illegally. Send all the illegals back to their home countries and let them fight and march and rally for change. Our ancestors fought, our women fought, our brothers fought and we are still fighting. That is how we change things. Escaping your country to reap the benefits of ours is not right.
gypsy314 ne
I agree with sweetman849 he said it well send all the illegal alien back to there country and do as we have done in history stand up and fight for what we believe in. Not go to another country and reap the goods from our fight. Heck we are still fighting for freedom for all.
Edward Van Orden
Can anyone tell me of any countries that will ....pay me to live there ,pay for my childrens education , pay for my food and housing , pay for my families medical expenes , allow me to vote in their elections , and defend my rights to all of this just like i was an actual citizen of their nation ??? (i am an american citizen ,so we already know i NEED to work and pay for this already , i just want to find a country that isnt america ,that will do ALL this for me ,WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED like they do for illegals here !!! )