Utah: tough love from anti-immigrant forces

Utah, the state of pro-Dream Act Republican Orrin Hatch, is one of the few states to allow undocumented students to qualify for in-state rates if they have lived in the state for a long time. But now, Republicans in the Utah legislature are out to cut out student employment resources by changing the affidavit policies:

Ronald Mortensen, who represents the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, strongly backs the bill.
"These are good kids, and we don't want them charged with identity theft at the age of 18, 19 or 20. That can ruin your life," he said. "We're giving them this special benefit of in-state tuition, and the only thing we're asking is they obey the laws."

The bill would require students to file two affidavits each year declaring they have not held a job without documents. People like Mortensen might think they are doing good for the students, but they are in fact perpetuating their exclusion from higher education. Rather than attack a flawed immigration system that does not acknowledge their dilemmas and provide them with a path to legalization that acknowledges their status as students and upright citizens of their communities, he is out to cut out their survival system in college. Full article, from the Salt Lake tribune, here.