A recent column about illegal immigrants brought this note from Republican Bob Orr, the former Supreme Court associate justice who is running for the GOP nomination for governor. I meant to post his words last week. Orr opposes allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in higher ed here at any tuition rate, but he also notes that Congress has contributed to this problem by refusing to address the status of the children of illegal immigrants and resolve the problem by outlining how they could apply for citizenship.
Here’s what Orr had to say:
“While I don’t think it’s right to allow illegals into the system (no different that allowing a driver’s license or the right to vote) the ultimate answer has to be left up to Congress. It serves no useful public purpose to let these kids go to community college or do anything else and have them subject to arrest and deportation at any moment. Congress needs to address the status of young people brought to this country illegally but who have graduated from our public high schools. It makes sense to allow them to jump to the front of the citizenship line but only Congress can make that decision.
