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The Alabama House of Representatives has passed a bill to allow some immigrants who are in the country illegally to attend state colleges and universities in Alabama.
The bill by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, provides an exception to a law passed in 2011 that said people in the country illegally are prohibited from enrolling in state community colleges or public four-year colleges.
Ingram’s bill said the ban on college enrollment does not apply to a person in the country illegally if they have satisfied either of the following:
- Attended a high school for three or more years and graduated from a high school, earned a GED or completed other equivalent education in this state.
- Applied for lawful presence in the United States.
Ingram said the purpose of the bill is to provide an opportunity for people who, although they are not in the country legally, have taken the steps to show they want to better themselves and become productive citizens.
Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, chairman of the House education budget committee, noted that the state invests money to support the education of the students in the country illegally in K-12 schools. Garrett said it makes sense to give those students who graduate high school in Alabama an opportunity to pursue a college education in Alabama. Otherwise, many leave to attend college in other states and are unlikely to return, Garrett said.
The prohibition on college attendance by people in the country illegally was part of a sweeping bill on illegal immigration the Legislature passed in 2011. Much of that law was blocked by courts.
Ingram’s bill passed by a vote of 89-10. It moves to the Senate.
Alabama and national politics.
