HCS#2 HB 1463 -- ENROLLMENT OF ILLEGAL ALIENS TO INSTITUTIONS OF
HIGHER EDUCATION

SPONSOR:  Nolte

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Immigration by a vote of 10 to 3.

This substitute prohibits the enrollment of unlawfully present
aliens in public institutions of higher education.  The registrar
of each institution must annually certify to the appropriation
committees of the General Assembly that the institution has not
knowingly enrolled any illegal alien prior to the approval of any
appropriations.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that there are legal and policy
reasons why the bill is needed.  Taking taxpayer money to
subsidize the education of a person who cannot be hired legally
after graduation is a problem.  Colleges should not enable
illegal aliens to remain in the country because that creates
liability for the college.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Nolte; Kris Kobach;
and Missourians Against Illegal Immigration.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that it affects mostly
young persons who have no responsibility for being brought to the
United States illegally as children.  The bill is punitive rather
than remedial because it is not addressing a known, existing
problem.  Missouri would be the first state to prohibit
undocumented students from attending institutes of higher
education.  Barring these students will leave the academic
environment less diversified and well-rounded for all Missouri
students.  Education officials should not have to act like
immigration enforcement officers.

Testifying against the bill were Missouri Catholic Conference;
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of St. Louis; Joan Suarez,
Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates; American Civil
Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri; Service Employees
International Union, Missouri/Kansas State Council; and Missouri
Association for Social Welfare.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that the University of
Missouri System prefers that the bill use the term "enroll"
rather than "admit."  It would save the university a lot of time,
trouble, and money.

Testifying on the bill was Barbara Rupp, University of Missouri-
Columbia.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm