On the CBS evening news: two young female valedictorians in Texas have both publically admitted to being undocumented, one via Twitter and one, I believe, in her graduation speech. Both have earned full college scholarships. I’m just sort of shocked. Do you thing they have put their families in danger of deportation? I don’t know diddly about how INS really works or even if they really care much about illegals as long as they aren’t causing trouble and obviously these young ladies are not causing trouble. I’ll be interested to see if there is any fall out.
In the given political climate and given the stated viewpoints of one presidential candidate, I would be cautious about making it public if I was the student in question.
My thoughts exactly. I really was surprised.
My thought too. Flaunting something that is against the law is begging for trouble. Best thing to do is shut their mouths and get on to the process of becoming citizens asap even if their parents chose not to obey the law. They are college graduates…they should be able to figure it out.
I am pretty naive about the logistics of this. By undocumented, does that mean they have no social security number? If so, how do they enroll in school, or take standardized tests or get drivers licenses, etc without birth certificates or SSN?
No. They just graduated from high school.
One of the students received substantial merit scholarships to attend UT Austin. I would assume that they will be rescinded
Boastfully tweeting that you’re getting a free-ride to college [at taxpayer expense], have got great legs, and are undocumented, is sure to garner hate mail.
They are college graduates…they should be able to figure it out. >>>
No, sorry I was not clear. They are graduating high school and entering college with full ride scholarships.
Valedictorians get free rides; nothing boastful about it.
One of the students received substantial merit scholarships to attend UT Austin. I would assume that they will be rescinded >>>>>>>>>
I can’t help but think they both have shot themselves in the collective feet!
And as someone else said, how can they even get to this point? Illegal papers? That’s all I can figure.
I give them all props for bravery–they sound like extraordinary young women. And what makes anyone sure that they’re parents aren’t taxpayers?
“One of the students received substantial merit scholarships to attend UT Austin. I would assume that they will be rescinded.”
No. From the NYT article posted above:
"Gary Susswein, a spokesman for the University of Texas, said that federal law prevented him from discussing the cases of individual students, but he offered a statement that said that the university grants two-semester tuition waivers to all valedictorians of Texas public high schools regardless of their residency status.
“State law also does not distinguish between documented and undocumented graduates of Texas high schools in admissions and financial aid decisions,” the statement said. “University policies reflect that law.”
Good for both girls in speaking out.
One of the students was accepted at Yale. @garland Not all valedictorians receive free rides, especially not to Ivy League institutions.
Are the parents filing taxes? Did they submit a FAFSA?
^ true, but it’s very possible she got a heck of a lot of FA from Yale.
Don’t college applications require SS numbers ?
One of the girls is not going to school in Texas. What does federal law state regarding situations like this.
I can see both sides of the argument. On one hand, yes, they’re here illegally, nothing to brag about.
OTOH, they represent the reality of talented, very hard working & accomplished young people – the kinds of people we want here – whose future may be a question mark through no fault of their own.
They’re tired of hiding. And I don’t blame them.
In what way does it benefit us, Americans as a whole, to punish these youngsters?
Are we assuming that hordes of potential illegal immigrants will take this as a precedent and say, “wow, let’s risk everything and live as illegals in America (because it’s so fun) on the off chance that our children will get “free rides” to Yale”?
Or is the reality that potential illegal immigrants come here because they’re desperate AND they know Americans are fundamentally cheap and would prefer to hire illegal workers over the Americans who charge 4 times as much?
I’m sure that’s a hard pill to swallow for every immigrant who faced terrible situations at home , but chose to come to our country through legal means.