"Tuition break proposal is pulled"

Plan would benefit illegal immigrants
By JENNIFER FENN, Sun Statehouse Bureau
Lowell Sun

BOSTON -- A controversial plan that would give illegal immigrants in-state tuition 
rates at public colleges and universities will be removed from the proposed House 
budget amid pressure from members who want a full hearing and debate on the issue.

The proposal was included as a separate section of the fiscal-year budget even 
though House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi had said he wanted to limit policy changes in 
the budget process. He wanted legislative changes to go through the typical 
committee process instead.

The immigrant issue is being pushed by Rep. Marie St. Fleur, D-Dorchester, vice 
chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Committee. St. Fleur is a Haitian immigrant.

However, since the budget was released St. Fleur has been under pressure to 
withdraw the proposal, House leaders said.

The in-state tuition rate for illegal immigrants will not be part of the final 
state budget because of mounting opposition to including that issue of public 
policy in what is supposed to be a revenue document and nothing else,� said 
Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lowell, chairman of the Higher Education Committee. “I 
don't know how it's going to be done, but I can guarantee it will not be part of 
the final budget.

A spokesman for St. Fleur said he was not aware of any agreement to withdraw the 
proposal and in a written statement responding to questions from The Sun, St. Fleur 
made no mention of backing off.

I support the granting of in-state tuition rates to the children of 
undocumented residents who qualify for it under the guidelines in the current 
proposal, she said in the statement. I anticipate that the matter will be 
taken up before the House finishes deliberating on the budget.�

However, Rep. David Nangle, a member of DiMasi's inner circle, said he lobbied 
heavily to remove the plan from the budget.

There has been a discussion in the leadership meetings that have taken place 
and we just felt it was not the time and place to bring it up, Nangle said. 
Something as controversial as this piece of legislation doesn't belong in the 
budget. I understand Marie St. Fleur has agreed to take it out.

It's likely that the plan would be referred to a House committee for a hearing.

That's where I feel it belongs, said Nangle. I'm happy with that compromise and
look forward to the day it's debated and taken up on the House floor.

However, Nangle said he opposes the plan and will vote against it.

Murphy said the legislation as written is unacceptable to many members, 
including himself. The language said undocumented immigrants can receive in-state 
tuition rates as long as they provide the college with an affidavit stating that 
they have filed an application to become a citizen or permanent resident of 
the United States, or shall file an application at the earliest opportunity the 
individual is eligible to do so.

Murphy said the language is too broad and does not require the student to become a 
citizen, but only apply for citizenship.

Some of these students will never be United States citizens and why should 
they be entitled to benefits that legal immigrants in other states do not get?� 
said Murphy, who represents a large number of immigrants in Lowell.

Murphy said his job is to look out for those immigrants who are here legally.

â have a lot of immigrants in my district, but legal immigrants, he said. 
âut I don't consider illegal immigrants to be my constituents. They're not 
supposed to be here.

However, supporters of the proposal say many of the students came to the United 
States as young children and should not be punished because of their parents' 
decision to illegally enter the country.

Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy 
Coalition, said the state would benefit by an educated work force were the students 
given wider access to college.

Toan Lee, 23, of Lowell, has been lobbying for the change because he'd like to go 
to college and it would take several years before he could become a citizen. Lee 
said he moved to the United States from Vietnam seven years ago.

It's my wish to go to college, said Lee. I've gone to school here and lived in
Massachusetts. Our parents work and pay taxes. We should have the same opportunity
as citizens.

Lee said he can't afford the out-of-state tuition, which is about double the cost 
for in-state students.

Gregg Croteau, executive director of the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, 
which last week held an event through the immigrant coalition to rally support for 
the legislation, said he's seeing more and more young people like Lee find out the 
hard way that they can't go to college.

Many have already passed the MCAS and are doing well in school and looking 
forward to going to the next level, Croteau said.

We've had several young people who are trying to get into UMass Lowell and are 
now realizing they are not able to financially afford it because they'd have to pay 
out-of-state tuition.

Jennifer Fenn's e-mail address is jfenn@lowellsun.com .