Opponents have stated the obvious — that these laws will only attract more immigrants to illegally cross the border and use California resources, putting a greater burden on Golden State taxpayers.
California Governor Jerry Brown signed three immigration bills on September 27 that will, respectively, provide funding for state public universities to administer loans to students who are in the United States illegally, allow illegal aliens to apply for professional state licenses, and allocate $3 million for non-profit organizations to legally represent minors in deportation cases.
Of the bills, the one that has received the most attention is SB 1210, introduced by Democratic state Senator Ricardo Lara last April. According to a statement from Lara, SB 1210 creates the California Dream Loan Program, which would establish at the University of California and California State University a loan program for “undocumented” students (that is, those who are in this country illegally) who have financial need but lack access to federal or private student loans.
“We invest in California students from an early age and many of them have done what we’ve asked them to do: work hard, study and pursue a higher education,” said Lara. “If we’re serious about strengthening our economy then we must remove obstacles for our future workforce when they’re close to the graduation finish line. Continuing to invest in our future and ensuring that all students have access to the funding resources they need to succeed should be a top priority.”
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