Romney: Opposing Tuition Breaks for Illegal Immigrants Isn’t Heartless, It’s Smart
EmailRiding the wave of his strong debate performance last night, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shot back at Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s remark that suggested not supporting education for illegal immigrants is akin to not having a heart.
“My friend Gov. Perry says if you don’t agree with his position on giving that in state tuition on illegals then you don’t have a heart,” said Romney, in remarks made to an audience at this morning’s Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando.
“Um, I think if you’re opposed to illegal immigration it doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart — it means you have a heart and a brain,” said Romney, evoking cheers from the crowd.
Last night’s exchange hinged on whether illegal immigrants should be granted in-state tuition discounts. Romney believes they should not get a discount on education and has called to turn off the “magnet of extraordinary government benefits.” He argued last night that illegal immigrants in Texas are granted in-state tuition at a nearly $100,000 discount.
Perry meanwhile suggested that it’s wrong to not provide education to children who have been brought to the U.S. “by no fault of their own.”
“I don’t think you have a heart,” he told Romney. ”We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society.”
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Not in a state that has always had, a large Hispanic population.
You can’t treat Hispanics that way, in TX.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 23, 2011, 2:25 pm 2:25 pm
If you deport them, they won’t be a drag on society when they are not educated.
Posted by: Jean S | September 23, 2011, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
Illegals are not citizens and therefore shouldn’t receive in-state discounts. What they deserve is a day in court to meet justice for violating Federal Law. If they aren’t going to be brought to justice, then let them pay full price any other non-state citizen would have to pay. If they don’t like that, so what? Get the hell out and go home. Go take your demands to your government instead of making demands of mine. I say, if you don’t deserve to be here, then no special treatment for violating US Federal Law and it shouldn’t be rewarded, but punished. No special deals for illegals violating Federal and State laws.
Posted by: TexBork | September 23, 2011, 5:53 pm 5:53 pm
All right……..let’s look at reality. The reality is….illegals come into Texas. They bring kids. The Federal government ignores there presence, and refuses to allow Texas to do anything about their presence. The US law says that those illegal kids, have to attend school……..taxpayer funded public schools. Texas has NO choice. That is the bottom line.
Then, the kid wants to attend college……and has to pay to do that. He still is, technically a resident of Texas, because he has lived there for at least 3 yrs, attending public schools. He receives in-state tuition. He gets that, because in fact, he lives there, and in spite of the fact he is illegal, Texas can’t deport him. only the federal government can deport him.
Half the population of Texas is legal Hispanic. Do you really think that the legal Hispanic population of Texas, is going to deny the kid in state tuition, when he lives in the state? No way.
Get real Romney. You are a fool!
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 23, 2011, 11:54 pm 11:54 pm
Aliens legal or not should not receive assistance from any government entity. —- Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, public education from first grade up, in state tuition for college, scholarships, housing assistance, welfare and many other programs were intended for CITIZENS of the United States.
Notice that I said CITIZENS. Citizens of other countries do not qualify if they are here on a visa, permanent alien resident, illegal alien or awaiting citizenship. We should take care of CITIZENS ONLY. Notice I said citizens and only citizens.
And I lived in the Houston area most of my life.
Posted by: oonogil7 | September 24, 2011, 12:30 am 12:30 am
So if my kid shows up in Texas and demands the instate tuition even though he is from another state is Perry going to give it to him? NO! Why? Because my kid is an American.
Posted by: raspberries88 | September 24, 2011, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
They aren’t really tuition breaks.
These illegals may be illegal, but they still reside in the states where they seek to attend college. If the federal government refuses to deport them, then you have to consider them residents, and charge them at the in-state rate, period. They are, in fact residents, and meet the time limits for residency.
Romney is demonstrating his own folly……..if you can’t deport them, then you have to make the best of it, and at least let them pay for their college………that’s a whole lot better than the zero they paid…….for attending public schools, before college!
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 24, 2011, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm
raspberries88: If your kid fulfilled the Texas requirement for amount of time living in Texas, then yes, he or she would get the in state rate. If he does NOT fulfill that requirement, then no, he would not get that rate. The fact that he is an American doesn’t matter.
Posted by: Searambler | September 24, 2011, 3:17 pm 3:17 pm
Stop giving illegals freebies and theywould stop coming. Get rid of the illegals, and you would create millions of jobs in a snap.
Posted by: ssss | September 24, 2011, 10:56 pm 10:56 pm
I guess when a president places his hand on the bible and promises to uphold the constitution, he is winking and crossing his fingers behind his back. Everything in our society is geared toward “elections” for our “public servants.” What a laugh! American citizens are the “servants” and the president is the “king.”
Posted by: jonnie | September 25, 2011, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
Well let me say this, if I could have gone to Canada and gotten my college education and healthcare for free…you bet I would have given up my student loans (that I’m still paying) to do so. Who wouldn’t go where the free education and healthcare are? That it’s available to non-citizens but not citizens is the crime. I’m happy to education non-citizens after all the citizens have been educated, but not before then.
Posted by: Serious Person | September 26, 2011, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm