NC community colleges required to take illegal aliens. Fred Smith has common sense. Your tax dollars hard at work.

From ALIPAC

The N.C. Community College System decided this month to require all system schools to admit illegal immigrants, altering a 2004 decision to leave that admissions decision up to the individual colleges.

The rights of illegal immigrants have become a hot topic in North Carolina, which has one of the highest illegal immigrant populations in the country.

Chancy Kapp, assistant to the president for external affairs for the NCCCS, said system attorney David Sullivan conducted a study that prompted the decision.

"In his opinion the system had been misinterpreting the open-door policy - we were not allowed to put nonacademic barriers to applicants," Kapp said.

About 300 illegal immigrants are currently enrolled in the state's 58 comprehensive community colleges and pay out-of-state tuition, Kapp said. Total system enrollment in full-time programs is nearly 200,000.

Most of the schools already admit illegal immigrants, but the recent decision has forced some, like Wake County Technical Community College, to revise their admissions policy.

"We don't have a choice, so now we're going to abide by what the state board is requiring us to do, and that's fine," said Laurie Clowers, the college's public relations director.

This is the formal press release from State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith about this issue.

Statement by State Senator Fred Smith - Republican Candidate for Governor on Community Colleges Decision

November 29, 2007 —

Raleigh, NC (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

We are a nation that is sustained under the rule of law. Without these laws, our freedom and order is compromised. Our citizens can't just pick and choose which laws they will obey. The directive issued by the North Carolina Community College System to mandate all community colleges across our state admit illegal immigrants as students simply ignores our immigration laws. If we ignore these laws, what other laws should we consider as unnecessary to obey?

How can a state government organization take the position that some laws just don't count? If we disagree with the laws, then we work to get them changed. We don't simply ignore them. The legislature should act quickly, setting politics aside, and address this important issue. I believe in sharing our freedom and opportunities with those who desire to come to the United States, but I believe those who come should respect our laws and make the effort to come to our country legally. We can't continue to ignore our laws by providing new incentives to come to North Carolina illegally.

I call upon Governor Easley, Lt. Governor Purdue, and Attorney General Roy Cooper to recognize the importance of this action by the Community College System and the message that is being sent by simply ignoring the federal laws and fact these individuals are in our state illegally. They should take appropriate action including the call of a special session of the General Assembly if necessary to rectify this improper decision.

A comment via email from the founder of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration:

Fred has "Uncommon Sense"