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Students protest outside Sen. Hagan's office

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

(Updated 9:08 am)

By Nancy H. McLaughlin
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — About 150 high school and college students wearing caps and gowns and carrying signs protested outside U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s Greensboro office on Tuesday.

“I want a chance at a future,” said one woman at the rally. She identified herself as a local high school student, but said she would not give her name because her parents are undocumented workers.

Security guards blocked the door to the office building, although protestors remained at the edge of the parking lot.

The students are upset that Hagan hasn’t shown support for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (Dream) Act.

The proposed federal legislation would give those who came to this country as the children of undocumented workers a chance at citizenship and education options.

In North Carolina, for example, the children of illegal immigrants cannot attend community college.

“Every year, brilliant minds and futures are wasted at dry cleaners, restaurants and construction sites,” said speaker Nayely Perez Huerta, who works for a Latino advocacy group.

“They lack something other students take for granted: opportunity.”

Hagan was in Washington Tuesday, but Caitlin Legacki, her North Carolina press secretary, briefly watched the protest.

“Sen. Hagan believes we need comprehensive immigration reform,” Legacki said without specifically addressing the Dream Act.

“She opposes amnesty and supports working toward a practical solution that is fair to taxpayers and addresses the issues at their core — strengthening the borders, enforcing laws that crack down on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, and shutting down the underground economy.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com

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88WVU93

June 24, 2009 - 7:33 am EDT

El mundo necesita ditchdiggers demasiado. - Senor Czervik

bigwill

June 24, 2009 - 8:10 am EDT

Its not the governments fault these kids parents are undocumented workers. Why don't the kids start blaming their parents, since they are the cause of their problem. If the parents would try to become legal then we wouldn't be having this issue. It's not fair to the legal citizens of the US to pay for someone elses education that are not here legally. I feel sorry for the kids who are being refused because of their parents, but go point your fingers at them. Plus, its also not fair for the kids that are here legally to have to compete with a kid who is not legal to get into college. That would be like allowing our prisoners to get free education (which we do), while we have to pay out the wazoo for our own kids to go to school. If you do not abide by the laws, then you should lose all your rights while living here. Being here illegal should be no different.

sir william

June 24, 2009 - 8:30 am EDT

"Undocumented workers"? They are still illegal aliens in my book. I use to have some sympathy for them, but the way our government is going after the honest, hard working AMERICANS, don't expect any tears from this man. Get legal, get a job, pay your taxes, then you have earned the "right" to protest! Just call me" MR. TIRED OF THE B.S."!

smallz417

June 24, 2009 - 11:50 am EDT

ok, so the kids can blame their parents. Then what? They don't have any other "home" to go to - all of their friends, family, teachers, and potential resources are here. This is often the only home they know. Some of them don't even speak the language of their home country. Is it justice to deny them access to education because of their parents decisions, their country of origin, or the color of their skin? Denying people access to education only increases poverty. All they want is to be productive members of the society in which they grew up.
Also, I hope I wasn't given preference to get into college because of where I was born, I hope it was based on my intellect, willingness to learn, and aptitude to succeed.

bigwill

June 24, 2009 - 12:40 pm EDT

Is it justice to compete for acceptance into college against someone who is not here legally? It's not my fault nor should it be anyone elses fault that they can't get into college because their parents are illegals. Maybe their parents should be trying to become a legal citizen like everyone else. You are still missing the fact that if they are accepted into college they are still illegal. How can you be protesting to allow someone to let you into school, but yet you can't mention your name because you might get deported. If they can't mention their name here, how can they apply to school? Oh thats right, like usual a fake name and SSN. Where you were born was part of your background check when you entered. So yes you were given preference from where you were born too.

PossibleHero

June 24, 2009 - 1:39 pm EDT

To my knowledge, schools accept those who meet their academic standards, displays good merit, shows involvement in the community, and has the drive to become a future asset towards what they aspire for in life. Admission into college isn't based solely on the presence of a social security number. I don't think that any upstanding university would accept anyone (legal or not) if they were simply delinquents who wanted to cause trouble and havoc for the people around them. These students worked hard to succeed in school and they shouldn't be held back from obtain degrees or serving in the military based on their parents decisions.

bigwill

June 24, 2009 - 4:31 pm EDT

How can you have good merit and integrity, when you have to hide your parents from the public? So just because their parents came over here illegally and they were born into the situation, were suppose to give them a free pass? That's ludacris. That would be like saying we need to bring all the poverty children from foreign countries here to get an education because they can't help they were born into it.
I see college doesn't offer a common sense or logic class.

PossibleHero

June 24, 2009 - 5:02 pm EDT

"That would be like saying we need to bring all the poverty children from foreign countries here to get an education because they can't help they were born into it."

Twisting around ideas must be a hobby of yours . . .
Who said anything about the US bringing over children from other countries simply to get a decent education? The United States does however bring in refugees from countries in turmoil (but that isn't relevant to this topic about immigration). No one is getting a "free pass'. Those don't exist in today's world. These kids have worked hard and earned the opportunity to apply, again let me say that APPLY, to go to college or to the service. No one is going to say, "Hey, you just graduated from high school, your parents brought you over here against you will, here is a free "get into to college card". And don't worry, we'll still make it our purpose to make sure that you'll take every job in the country and to drive America even farther into the ground."

"I see college doesn't offer a common sense or logic class"
Well these students do know what college can offer them.
Apparently, since you either didn't gain admission (because an better-qualified immigrant got your spot) or simply didn't to go, I don't think that you have to much room to talk to me about college classes.

bigwill

June 25, 2009 - 8:20 am EDT

Its not twisting ideas, its the same thing you idiot. If their parents are here illegally, it would be the same thing as if they were born in Mexico. Can your college brain not comprehend that idea? Wow, what college do you go to? Plus why would I need to waist my money and obviously from what I see here, my brain to go to college when I have a great career. Its called hard work, most college students don't know what that word means. I see you didn't have a response to the merit and integrity comment. Why should we give rights to people who are here illegal when we can't even help our own. Your priorities are all out of wack it seems. You obviously fell under the "hippie" college movement when you went too.

PossibleHero

June 25, 2009 - 10:07 am EDT

Well back in the 1900s, whenever you decided to do whatever it is that you do, college degrees weren't required to become something in life. But here in 2009, some kinds of post high school training is simply necessary in order to avoid living a mediocre lifestyle. Be that as it may, it is possible to work at minimum wage with a high school diploma or a GED , living paycheck to paycheck, going nowhere in life.

"Its called hard work, most college students don't know what that word means"
Are you serious? You must be joking? Do you think that college is all about partying and having a good time? The students are first and foremost to get an education. The normal college student usually has to deal with a full course load (jam-packed with words that you probably couldn't even spell and concepts that you couldn't begin to comprehend), a job, and other engagements that they commit themselves to. Personally, last year alone I completed over 30 hours of coursework, maintained an 3.4 GPA, and volunteered in the community over 100 hours. (Yes Idiot, I mean BigWill, I am a current college student, not a "hippie college movement kid" as you assumed)

I'm not going to entertain this argument anymore because I've expressed and you've expressed your own. Just leave it at that. People are people and there is no changing that. I treat everyone the same and I have prejudice towards no one. Again to me, the technicalities of where someone was born are not as important as where they were raised or brought up.

bigwill

June 25, 2009 - 2:51 pm EDT

I guess if college was so important then most companies would take a degree over work experience. But since that is not the case of most employers a degree is only a piece of paper on the wall. I guess I should have used different terminology and said hard labor instead of work. Again, you still can't comprehend the fact that we have our own legal Americans who need help with education, but yet we are suppose to help illegal Americans to get an education. You say that these kids can't help they were born into the situation and its their parents doing. Well if that's the case then like I said before, their parents need to go back and apply the proper way so they can have that chance. These kids shouldn't have preference just because they are already here. Quit avoiding the facts here.

garcia

July 1, 2009 - 7:51 am EDT

I'm not sure who needs the "common sense or logic class" more, you or the immigrant students. Ludicrous is NOT spelled "ludacris." That is a rapper's name, not an actual adjective, and anyone with "logic class" wouldn't be listening to that. And for your information, we have children from poverty (not "poverty children") here in the United States already and because they WERE born into poverty, we DO give them a free pass already, it's called need-based Financial Aid. I am in college and a daughter of immigrants and I have worked hard to maintain my 3.97 GPA. If you in your ignorance are jealous because you didn't get into any colleges or universities, don't blame it on us because we offer you a little competition. Your argument is the same argument during the 1960's (How can we let blacks compete with our whites?!!!) Well, competition is what makes our capitalist economy thrive. Maybe you should become more educated before you post such comments.

StokeyBob

June 24, 2009 - 8:24 am EDT

Did you ever wonder where the money for things like the subversion of the world’s immigration laws may come from?

It seems to me as long as we allow people to print up fiat money there will be no place in the world where freedom can flourish.

If the Globalist oppose your efforts, paid for with real hard earned money, all they have to do is fire up the presses and shovel the money to any group that will oppose you.

Not only that but it seems they do it in such a way that the money to achieve THEIR goals is borrowed from them. Then we pay interest to a group outside of our country, like the Federal Reserve, on the creation and borrowing of OUR OWN fiat money.

IN ESSENCE THEY BEAT US WITH OUR OWN STICK!

PossibleHero

June 24, 2009 - 10:31 am EDT

I guess you all don’t know what the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors) Act is trying to do. One of the main goals for the DREAM Act is to those people, who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or work towards a college degree AND HAVE AN ACCELERATED PATH TO CITIZENSHIP. These kids couldn’t help but to come over here with their families. Their parents made the decision to come over American illegally and that is something the children couldn’t help. I do think that immigrants should come over the right way, but who are we as a society to blame children for their parent’s actions? How would you all like for your actions to have everlasting effect on your children?

clay

June 24, 2009 - 11:14 am EDT

"How would you all like for your actions to have everlasting effect on your children?" They do, it's called being an adult.

Panacea

June 24, 2009 - 11:14 am EDT

If you break the law and are sent to prison, your actions have an everlasting effect on your children. Bringing your kids here illegally is no different.

Illegal workers don't pay income taxes, by and large. They are often paid in cash. They use government services and don't pay their fair share of the cost. Why should I pay for their kids to go to college? I shouldn't even have to pay for their kids to go to public schools.

Actions have consequences. If these kids want to be upset, let them be upset with Mom and Dad. Go home, and apply to come to the US legally.

fatboyfanuci

June 24, 2009 - 11:20 am EDT

“Every year, brilliant minds and futures are wasted at universities, community colleges, and libraries,”

There, fixed it.

PossibleHero

June 24, 2009 - 11:33 am EDT

"Go home, and apply to come to the US legally." They are home. Wouldn't you consider somewhere that you've lived for 16 or 17 years home? Especially if they were brought over as kids and they don't have any vague memories of where they came from. Its not fair to tell these recent high school graduates to just "go home and apply to come to the US legally". The US is all that they know.

bigwill

June 24, 2009 - 12:47 pm EDT

They may not have any vague memories of where they came from, but I would hope that if they are smart enough to go to college then they are smart enough to understand where they came from. I seriously doubt that these kids had no idea that their parents were illegal until now. Why should we spend our time on these issues when we have our own legal American kids that need help. I think its about time we start keeping our hands in our pockets instead of keep giving these hand outs. Thats why we are in the mess that we are in now.

garcia

July 1, 2009 - 8:00 am EDT

I don't understand where you get your information from that illegals don't pay taxes. I'll have you know what your precious sources don't tell you is that the U.S. government actually issues thousands of ITIN numbers during tax time to people that don't have a valid social security number. They're not stupid, they know these people are illegal. As long as they have some way to pay their taxes, the government is a-okay with it. So you see, illegal immigrants DO pay taxes. Not only that, they barely get any money back because they are illegal. They don't get any child credits, just their taxable income. So yes, WE DO PAY TAXES. And our money goes to support your single mothers, your unemployed, and your disabled. We support your welfare system more than you actually support us. And if you don't believe me, get an educated answer and read the report conducted by the University of Chapell Hill.

smallz417

June 24, 2009 - 11:35 am EDT

For most undocumented people in America right now there is no way to "get legal," and if you happen to be from a south american country, the wait to get into the US legally is often 15 years or more. Even if you have a direct family member already living here! And undocumented people DO pay taxes. Obviously everyone pays sales tax, and many undocumented people go sign up for taxpayer ID cards, because they believe that if they do everything they can to be responsible citizens, they may eventually be offered a chance to come out of the shadows.
I think most people just don't know much about our incredibly broken immigration system, and that's the biggest obstacle to solving our immigration problems. We need to work to educate the public about the realities of our system and to end the "us vs. them" thinking that entrenches people onto "sides." It baffles me how people I grew up with - people who are otherwise caring and thoughtful, and who would do anything for their own families - judge so harshly people who came to believe that their best shot at survival was leaving their homes and families to search for opportunities here.

kmom181

June 24, 2009 - 4:22 pm EDT

If illegals would like to attend our colleges why not allow them to apply for student loans to pay back themselves. As long as they are paying their own way it should not be a problem with anyone. I do not believe they should be given a free ride to college when there are so many Americans today who can not afford to send their own children to college and do not qualify for financial help or full scholarships.