Giving in-state tuition breaks to illegal aliens is just disgusting and has been covered here before. Why you would even accept an illegal alien -- who is not in this country legally, let alone in a state legally -- into the country and give them a massive advantage over those here legally is just another sign of the collapse of the government in enforcing immigration law. It also shows the pervasiveness of those in power who are under the influence of Mexico and are therefore traitors to our country.

For instance in Arizona back in May, 2005 Governor Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill that would have outlawed giving in-state tuition to illegal aliens. This prompted Republican Representative Tom Boone to declare "The illegal immigrant has in Governor Napolitano (his or her) best friend in the state". There is simply no excuse for supporting it. There are still some lawmakers who see the wrong in it. Back in May the Connecticut House said "no" to in-state tuition for illegal aliens, though the vote was surprisingly close at 77-65 for such a ridiculous policy.

California is not alone: New Mexico, Washington, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and New York all support in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

We have punished the citizens of the United States long enough and now our leaders have taken it to it's forgone conclusion of favoring foreign law-breakers over those here who have rights under the Constitution. I just cannot understand the audacity of the leaders in California -- and other states -- who have actually determined that someone who is not a resident of this country, let alone their state, has any rights other than being deported immediately.

Every dollar in discount given to an illegal alien is a discount that was taken away from a legal resident of this country.

On a national level in-state tuition policies carry an estimated $756 million per year to taxpayers.

Now some students have had enough and are fed up with being discriminated against. They have filed a lawsuit in California for their unfair treatment. Students in 19 states have filed a lawsuit seeking hundreds of millions for the state overcharging them and favoring illegal aliens over those here legally.

Washington Times

The 42 plaintiffs say California state lawmakers and the University of California board of regents knowingly violated a federal law enacted in 1996 that says any state that offers discounted in-state tuition to its illegal aliens must provide the same lower rates to all U.S. citizens.

California has a "unique" statute barring discrimination on the basis of geographic origin, said lead attorney Michael J. Brady.

Some students in the University of California system could be eligible for as much as $300,000 in total damages, he said.

The plaintiffs' attorneys say the lawsuit was filed in a state court in Yolo County on behalf of about 60,000 U.S. citizens who have paid out-of-state tuition to attend public higher-education institutions in California since 2002.

Mr. Brady said out-of-state students are paying $20,000 more than illegal aliens per year to attend schools in the University of California system. In the California state university system, the difference is $11,000 per year.

"And in the community college system in California, which has a total of 1.5 million students, the tuition differential is $6,000 a year," he said.

This is just an outrage and I'm surprised it wasn't challenged harder when they instituted this years ago. Not only is it illegal and unprincipled, but there was a massive amount of money involved. The fact that the parents haven't risen up in anger sooner just shows the complacency that has set in over illegal aliens in this country. Allowing them to take directly from your pocket without a word is appalling.

Now if we could just get some lawsuits over them stealing and destroying from our elementary and high schools, health care systems and tax base through social services.

Other Commentary:

Lonewacko
Daily Pundit with the apt titled "The Reverse Bigotry of Good Intentions".
Say Anything
California Yankee
Betsy's Page, where she begrudgingly agrees that the penalty should be paid, but doesn't seem opposed to giving illegal aliens in-state tuition.
SoCalLaw Blog