Honor Student Could Be Deported

Parents Forum
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<p>Tatin, that is just ridic - who is this GA resident who was denied a spot by a well-qualified immigrant? My guess is that there are many other OOS kids who also attend that school and many would be less qualified than the young lady in question! Why do you assume that she is illegally getting instate rates or scholarships? It’s likely that she is a GA resident FOR TUITION PURPOSES. I highly doubt she made up a SSN or anything of that sort as FAFSA verifies SSNs. Those without SSNs just use zeros and it’s really not a big deal. </p>

<p>Really, people, whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?! It appears that her poor judgement in driving without a license will have severe repercussions for her but it doesn’t make her some nefarious character deserving of all sorts of unfounded accusations by random strangers! If her passport is expired it’s possible she has few solid ties, if any, to Mexico and she was a CHILD when she was brought to the US. Imho, she’s more a victim in the immigration snafu than an offender.</p>

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<p>Are we really required to treat non-citizens as innocent until proven guilty, when US citizens aborad are frequently not given the same presumption of innocence?</p>

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<p>Hmmm, I would have thought “yes”.</p>

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<p>Yes, we should. Whether we like it or not, the United States is often held to a higher standard. In my opinion, it is justified as we are one of the richer and more educated nations, but that is another discussion.</p>

<p>I feel that many people in this thread are distancing themselves from the fact that we are dealing with people’s lives and not simple questions of legality and illegality. I think that it would be difficult to argue that following the letter of the law, what she has done is legal. However, the law is created by fallible people, and for this reason, it must constantly be changed and modified.</p>

<p>Ask yourself, what exactly makes a person “legal” and “illegal” anyway? For some people, they have earned such status by being able to provide some type of valuable service to the United States; thus, they earned a visa and eventually became a citizen. </p>

<p>Nevertheless, for the greater majority of “legal” people, they have become citizens through arbitrary reasons like where they were born, the immigration lottery, or perhaps political strife in their home country that leads to refugee status. In general, we have become citizens and been afforded all the advantages of being in America through sheer luck, not because we are inherently superior to those “illegals.” </p>

<p>Thus, it shocks me to see that so many people seem to carry such a sense of entitlement simply because they are “legal” as if they have earned such a right. Sure you pay taxes, but by this logic, poor people should be denied an education, too, since they pay very little in the way of taxes. Many “illegals” would happily pay taxes if that was all it took to become “legal.”</p>

<p>In summary, many citizens squander their “legal” status. On the other hand, this young lady and others in her situation have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded to them by being in America. I see no reason to deny such people their dreams on the basis of upholding an outdated immigration system.</p>

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<p>It seems that the real problem people have is the fact that she was knowingly driving without a license and had never had one. Since she was brought here as a child, she didn’t have a choice in that matter. It appears that she may have been a GA resident for tuition purposes and her parents may be paying taxes. Or she may have been grandfathered in. We just don’t know. It’s one thing to try to get an education as best she can given her status, which was not her doing. It’s quite another to knowingly operate a car without a license. There’s no reason to assume that the car was not properly registered/insured. Last I knew in my state, no one asks for proof of citizenship/residency when you buy/register/insure a car. </p>

<p>Probably the most common way to encounter the police is when operating a motor vehicle. Had she made do with public transportation she probably would not have been in a situation where she had to prove her identity. That still doesn’t resolve the job issue because her degree would have been meaningless when she couldn’t get a legitimate job because of her status.</p>

<p>The people I really feel sorry for are the children who were brought here illegally, are for all intents Americans culturally and linguistically, have grown up in fear of their family “being discovered”, and who are forced into further illegalities because of their status. Adults who come here knowingly break the law, but what are kids supposed to do, even when they become adults?</p>

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<p>I am not sure KSU turns away qualified candidates. While it is a school on the rise, it is far from a state flagship. Perhaps if you don’t apply in a timely matter, you might have to wait for the next semester, but if you have the grades, you are in.</p>

<p>I suspect because of her status, not having a legit social security number, she did not apply for the HOPE and just paid in state tuition. Even though the HOPE isn’t means based, you have to file FAFSA to be eligible for it. Given her situation, this wasn’t possible.</p>

<p>Here is relevant information from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.</p>

<p>Colotl was accepted to KSU in 2006 as an in-state student, which was in keeping with the policy of the Board of Regents at the time. The following year, the rules were changed so that undocumented students could no longer receive in-state tuition, which costs about a quarter of out-of-state tuition.</p>

<p>Colotl was still paying in-state tuition up until her March arrest. That’s when university officials learned she was an illegal immigrant, according to a statement KSU issued Friday. The university’s administration said from now on she will be charged out-of-state tuition rates.</p>

<p>Chris Kuck, an Atlanta immigration attorney who is representing Colotl, said because she entered the country illegally as a minor, there is no path to legalization open to her. She has an academic scholarship to KSU, but she has not been receiving federal or state financial aid, including the merit-based HOPE scholarship.</p>

<p>While she had high enough grades for the HOPE scholarship, Kuck said she never applied. Only Georgia residents are eligible for the scholarship, which covers tuition and other expenses at public colleges.</p>

<p>“She’s not eligible for HOPE,” Kuck said. “You have to be a Georgia resident. She paid for it all on her own.”</p>

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<p>Obviously yes, unless we’re abandoning the principles this country was founded on and becoming a dictatorship or police state. Remember that those countries generally treat their own citizens very harshly as well.</p>

<p>Thanks for posting that update, lastminutemom. It seems that she is not quite the nefarious character some would make her out to be. In all of this, was anyone else disturbed by the racial profiling being practiced by the Cobb Co Sheriff’s Dept? I am and I hope that there is an investigation into how many of these traffic stops are being made to further other agendas. I wonder if any US citizens of hispanic descent in the area will come forth with complaints now that this story is receiving so much attention.</p>

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<p>Whoa, whoa…racial profiling? Where? The campus police officer? The sheriff’s department whom took custody of her after her initial arrest? Government officials of Cobb County have displayed some disturbing conduct in the past (like censorship of theatrical plays in years past) but where was the racial profiling in this case?</p>

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<p>I don’t see how the rights that we grant to non-citizens is related to our country being a dictatorship or police state. </p>

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<p>Canada is one such country. They will promptly deport non-citizens if caught in the United States. Didn’t realize that they treated their own citizens very harshly as well.</p>

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<p>There is another thread on this topic. Perhaps the 2 should be merged. According to the paper, she did not have a drivers license at all (lied about that, and could only produce a Mexican passport that expired in 2007) and lied at the precinct about her address, which is a felony. She was identified as illegal because of Cobb county’s agreement with the 287(g) program, an agreement local law enforcement agencies, such as the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, have with immigration officials to check the status of everyone taken into custody. The driving without a license is a misdemeanor-- but the lies to authorities-- that moved her to the felony category. The situation is unfortunate, but she should not have lied-- twice no less.</p>

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<p>KSU turns away plenty of qualified candidates. I can say that with confidence because I personally know 100 or 200 students in my high school’s graduating class (I’m a senior at a HS five miles away from KSU) who would have loved to attend but were denied.</p>

<p>As jym626 pointed out, [there</a> is another 15-page thread on this girl here.](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/928950-should-illegal-aliens-able-receive-state-tuition-state-schools-14.html]there”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/928950-should-illegal-aliens-able-receive-state-tuition-state-schools-14.html)</p>

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<p>It’s really irrelevant whether she took the seat of another. </p>

<p>We don’t make those kinds of exceptions. </p>

<p>What was this girl’s major? what was her intended career? She can’t work HERE!</p>

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<p>*Obviously yes, unless we’re abandoning the principles this country was founded on and becoming a dictatorship or police state. Remember that those countries generally treat their own citizens very harshly as well. *</p>

<p>Oh please. Every country has the moral and ethical right (and need!) to secure its borders. Do you think that you could just move to any European country and get a job, without any formal documentation?</p>

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<p>She is not a citizen, does not have a green card, is not entitled to Georgia state rates for tuition. She did not apply and go through the paperwork that so many immigrants have to do from other countries. As an honor student at her school, she could surely get a student visa and legally stay here for college. Just has to go through the required paperwork. Better students that she have to go through that process. Why should she be exempt? As for the driving with no license, she is at the mercy of the courts as anyone under those circumstances. The court often is more lenient to those who are exemplary students or a credit to their community. But being illegally here and having skipped out on the international student paperwork, not paying OOS tuition, are going to be points against her. </p>

<p>Binkso09, from what I understand, all of us are having our tax dollars used to subsidize the education of many illegal aliens. Most elementary, middle, high schools do not check for legal US status. Not only are those kids who are illegally here getting a free education, they often get social benefits if they qualify income or otherwise, without the illegal immigrant issue arising. So you probably are having your tax dollars spent that way. I know I am. And am also subsidizing those college kids who have are here in NY 3 years for their state subsidy for in state tuition for college.</p>

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[Illegal</a> immigrant KSU student hopes to stay in U.S. | ajc.com](<a href=“http://www.ajc.com/news/illegal-immigrant-ksu-student-526742.html]Illegal”>http://www.ajc.com/news/illegal-immigrant-ksu-student-526742.html)</p>

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<p>I was referring to the NY Times article:</p>

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<p>M2CK, you have completely taken my comment out of context…it was in regards to the concept of “innocent until proven guilty”, not border control or work visas! If you are in disagreement of that basic tenet of our justice system, that’s okay (but I would find it VERY disturbing!).</p>

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<p>Sorry, it is highly doubtful that you had that many students turned away from KSU. It has a 64% admittance rate. </p>

<p>First-Year Students Percent Who
Submitted Scores
SAT Critical Reading: 500 - 580 78%
SAT Math: 490 - 580 78%
SAT Writing: 470 - 560 78%
ACT Composite: 20 - 24 38% </p>

<p>Although you must have a 3.0 GPA to qualify for the HOPE scholarship, you cannot get the HOPE scholarship in Georgia simply by filing a FAFSA. If the parent files a FAFSA, and owes GA state taxes, the child will be denied the HOPE, even if academically qualified and being a Georgia resident.</p>

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<p>Right, Ga2012mom. I am trying to think which HS’s are within 5 mi of KSU- Maybe N. Cobb, Kennesaw Mtn or Harrison High. Doubtful 100-200 seniors were turned down from KSU. Do that many seniors even apply to KSU?</p>

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<p>*She has an academic scholarship to KSU, but she has not been receiving federal or state financial aid, including the merit-based HOPE scholarship.</p>

<p>While she had high enough grades for the HOPE scholarship, Kuck said she never applied. Only Georgia residents are eligible for the scholarship, which covers tuition and other expenses at public colleges.</p>

<p>“She’s not eligible for HOPE,” Kuck said. “You have to be a Georgia resident. She paid for it all on her own.”*</p>

<p>Well…if she got in-state rates and she got a scholarship, then she didn’t “pay for it all on her own.”</p>

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<p>I’m pretty sure most of the academic scholarships at KSU are privately funded. She may have been paying instate tuition (which alone is over $5,000) but she was taking no state or federal loans. Yes, I know she was getting the benefit of instate tuition, but there are thousands of kids every year that qualify for the HOPE, then drop or flunk out. That to me is much worse than this girl getting instate tuition and actually getting good grades. I’m too tired to look up the $$$ amount, but the amount of HOPE money that students blow every year is much worse to me that this one girls “crime.”</p>