House votes to bar illegal immigrants from state colleges

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House voted to effectively ban illegal immigrants from the state's colleges and universities and require institutions to guarantee to lawmakers that they have "not knowingly admitted" anyone in the country illegally.

The measure, endorsed by 122-35 vote Wednesday, would codify existing federal requirements. Universities that cannot certify that illegal immigrants are not enrolled could face financial penalties.

Rep. Bryan Stevenson said educating those who have illegally entered the country is essentially giving funding to break the law.

"If they come here illegally, why should the state subsidize the education of someone who criminally enters the state?" said Stevenson, R-Webb City.

Critics said the measure would punish students who entered the country illegally as children with their parents.

The bill must receive a final vote in the House before moving to the Senate.

The House rejected by voice vote an amendment proposed by Rep. Tim Flook that would have allowed students who meet Missouri residency requirements to receive in-state tuition while they are applying to get permanent residency.

Flook, R-Liberty, said that amendment would have allowed students who entered the country illegally as children to follow the proper procedures to legalize their status.

"We do not hold children liable for the sin of their parent," he said. "These children are effectively Americanized."

Rep. Mike Daus said lawmakers have taken an unbalanced approach toward addressing illegal immigration. Several bills in the House and Senate have been filed to add penalties for businesses and restrictions on what illegal immigrants can do. But only the higher education restriction and a constitutional amendment to require that English is spoken in official proceedings have been discussed on the floor.

Daus, D-St. Louis, said lawmakers have thus far told illegal immigrants "we want you here, we want you to speak English, we don't want you to get an education and we want you to work very bad wages for companies that continue to employ you."

Most legislation dealing with immigration that has advanced so far this session has focused on putting more restrictions on illegal immigrants. One exception is an amendment to a business incentives bill that would bar employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants from participating.

The House approved a similar bill last year to prevent illegal immigrants from enrolling in colleges, but the Senate never voted on it. Last summer, higher education officials told a special House committee created to study the effect of illegal immigration in Missouri that few illegal residents are enrolled in state colleges.

Earlier this year, the four-campus University of Missouri system reported to the special committee and a House panel that it does not knowingly enroll any illegal immigrants.

Jim Kellerman, the executive director of a state community colleges association, said his members ask about immigration status but will enroll people who can't prove they are citizens or legal immigrants.

He told the House's special immigration committee last summer that no more than several hundred of Missouri's 200,000 community college students aren't in the United States legally.

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Immigrant enrollment is HB269

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Legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov