New Mexico Reportedly Using COVID Relief Funds to Pay for ‘Free’ College for Illegal Immigrants
“Eight Republicans voted in favor of this Democrat-led legislation”
In other words, American tax dollars are paying for the college education of non-citizens while some citizens go without. What country does this, other than us?
Campus Reform reports:
New Mexico is paying college tuition for illegal immigrants with COVID relief funds
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act into law, which provides scholarships covering tuition and fees at the state’s public higher education institutions.
The law extends to illegal immigrants, The New York Times reports, in addition to prison inmates and students from “tribal nations” that extend beyond state borders.
“A fully funded Opportunity Scholarship opens the door for every New Mexican to reach higher, strengthening our economy, our families and our communities,” Lujan Grisham said in a press release.
The New York Times reports that the program will cost $75 million for the 2023 fiscal year, with “$63 million com[ing] from pandemic relief funds.”
Alternative funding will be needed after 2023, according to the newspaper.
Campus Reform covered the bill’s advancement through the legislature in February. Originally, the plan was expected to rake $85.5 million from the fund to cover partial tuition for undergraduate students.
Per the administration’s calculations, the scholarship is expected to support up to 35,000 students starting in the fall semester.
Eight Republicans voted in favor of this Democrat-led legislation, which was spearheaded by state lawmakers Senator Elizabeth Stefanics and Representative Joy Garratt.
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Comments
Wait. Where are they getting “pandemic relief funds” for fiscal 2023?
Use of “pandemic relief funds” for non-pandemic relief by any city or state need to be clawed back by the Federal government. Does this not qualify as a fraudulent use of taxpayer money?
Who cares? There is absolutely zero constitutional justification for federal grants to states for any reason whatsoever.
Money is funge-able.
Too bad the pandemic relief funds couldn’t be used to help the 40% of small businesses permanently closed by Grisham’s unilateral actions. The owners and employees were told it was a necessary sacrifice since “we’re all in this together”.
(not a lawyer) Isn’t this illegal under federal law?
“Granting resident tuition rates to undocumented students is illegal. Such legislation violates Section 505 of IIRIRA, and Section 401 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). Section 401 states that an “alien who is not a qualified alien is not eligible for any public benefit,” which opponents claim includes in-state tuition to postsecondary institutions.”
https://www.ncsl.org/research/education/undocumented-student-tuition-overview.aspx
In certain states, such as NM, MA, RI, and NJ, the term “Republican” is highly relative. Ask Mike Bloomberg, the Chafees, and Chris Christie.