About 20 college students urged the state Board of Regents Tuesday to rescind a policy that bars illegal immigrants from attending Georgia's top colleges.
The rule, which went into effect this fall, prohibits illegal immigrants from attending schools that turned away academically qualified students the past two years. It applies to the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Health Sciences and Georgia College & State universities.
The policy "tells an entire group of perfectly qualified students that they're not good enough, solely because of their immigration status," University of Georgia senior Juan Carlos Cardoza-Oquendo said. "I believe in a system where everyone, regardless of immigration status, is given the opportunity to an education, especially if they are talented, qualified and have proven themselves in high school."
The ban promotes hostility against immigrants, hurts the state's economic growth and goes against the board's mission to create a more educated Georgia, students said.
Some students wore a scarlet "U" to represent the stigma and denied opportunities that "undocumented" students face. Others chanted: "Education not deportation."
The regents approved the ban after months of public debate over fears that illegal immigrant students take seats away from lawful residents. Illegal immigrants may attend the other 30 colleges in the University System of Georgia, provided they pay out-of-state tuition.
So far, one student who was granted preliminary acceptance to Georgia State was barred from enrolling because of their immigration status. Officials don't know if the new rule deterred illegal immigrants from applying of if few were attending all along.
Regent Mansfield Jennings thanked the students for providing a different perspective, but couldn't promise that the board would take action anytime soon.
"I can assure you that we will examine it very closely, making the best judgments we know how to make," Jennings said.
While there has been debate for quite some time about whether illegal immigrants should attend Georgia's public colleges, the issue resurfaced after the 2010 arrest of Jessica Colotl, an illegal immigrant who has since graduated from Kennesaw State University.
Lawmakers filed a bill last year to bar illegal immigrants from all public colleges, but it didn't pass either chamber of the Legislature. Supporters said the bill may be reintroduced.
Alabama and South Carolina bar illegal immigrants from attending public colleges. A dozen states grant them admission and in-state tuition if they are trying to earn legal status.
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