If a House bill passes to end the state’s illegal immigrant enrollment, it wouldn’t change the numbers for Lenoir Community College’s population.
Although they can enroll if they attended an American high school, they must pay out-of-state tuition without any financial assistance from LCC. Therefore, many people who would like to attend probably can’t afford to, John Paul Black, the school’s dean of students, said.
“These folks have been paying into the state tax base, yet they are excluded from in-state tuition because of federal requirements,” he said. “So it’s the darndest thing. It makes no sense to anyone.”
He said there should be a separation from federal immigration and state tuition residency laws.
“The schools are becoming basically immigration officials in the sense that we have to determine their federal immigration status,” Black said.
Undocumented students will not be able to attend colleges and universities in the state’s system under the filed House Bill 218, No Postsecondary Education/Illegal Aliens. The bill will protect students already enrolled and is set as a target for unauthorized immigrants, according to multiple reports released after it was filed Tuesday by House Republicans George Cleveland of Jacksonville and Chris Whitmire of Rosman.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Matthew Hill, dual major student. “This is a state-funded school.”
He walked alongside a peer on the campus who concurred.
“I agree,” criminal justice student Matthew Howard said. “If you’re not paying taxes to come to the school, you shouldn’t be able to attend it in the first place.”
For the last 25 years of studying immigration law, Black said the cross between taxpaying immigrants and what they’re excluded from is confusing.
“It’s the thing that … I still can’t figure out,” he said. “The federal government and the state government allow you to file income taxes even if you don’t have residence.”
He added, “Even though I look at this person who is legally working in Kinston, I have to charge him or her out-of-state (tuition).”
Black said the lines between federal immigration policing and school tuition should not be crossed. There was a school component of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, President Barack Obama’s federal initiative for qualified immigrants to have “lawful presence” in the U.S. Under the bill, these students will still not be allowed to enroll.
“(Immigrants) are coming here because they’re fleeing,” said a LCC instructor who wished not to be disclosed. “If they live in this state long enough, and if they can prove that they’ve been here long enough, let them go to school. That would be better for us, for our country.”
However, she said, they should not have access to federal government assistance such as food stamps and tuition assistance.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” said LCC student Jasmine Johnson. “This is supposed to be a free country, and you need education to move forward and pursue life. I really don’t agree with letting that bill pass.”
Black said state college and university systems won’t benefit from the bill, or any rule change unless it’s a tuition decrease for these students.
“I will enforce anything that I am required to enforce, but I recognize that is a confused policy now between the federal government and the state,” he said. “You have a whole generation of Hispanic students who don’t fit in, in society. They’re excluded … It’s like they’re here, but they’re not. If you find that the students remain here, then let them study. That’s my position on it.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.