Georgia Republican fights for in-state tuition for DACA students
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A Georgia Republican lawmaker is trying — again — to convince his colleagues to grant DACA recipients in-state tuition, despite four years of failing.
Why it matters: Roughly 3,000 undocumented and DACA students graduate from Georgia high schools each year, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.
- While the U.S. Constitution guarantees them K-12 education, these students are left in the lurch without affordable university or technical college access.
Driving the news: Ahead of next year's legislative session, state Rep. Kasey Carpenter told Axios he's doubling down on efforts to pass the Georgia Workforce Development Act.
- His district is in deeply conservative Northwest Georgia, but the city of Dalton has among the state's highest Hispanic/Latino populations at 53%.
- "It's a no-brainer," he said of the policy.
Reality check: Advocates, including the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, warn that limiting the bill to DACA recipients — excluding other undocumented students — will block access to tens of thousands of young people.
- Plus, DACA itself is being litigated, and its eligibility only applies to those who moved to the U.S. before 2007.
The other side: Carpenter has heard these criticisms but said he's focused on, "what can we get across? I think the bill as it sits has a chance of passing."
- "We haven't even been successful with the language we're working with," he told Axios.
By the numbers: The difference between annual in-state and out-of-state tuition at the University of Georgia amounts to about $20,000.
Between the lines: Political pressure and disinformation have been strong headwinds, Carpenter said, particularly for his Republican colleagues without high Latino populations in their districts.
- The situation at the border makes it "hard for Republicans to support anything that makes sense in regard to immigration," he said.
Zoom in: Carpenter told Axios that "once you sit down and explain the bill to somebody … they're like, 'Yeah that's fine. That makes sense.'"
- The problem, he said, is convincing his colleagues to take the time to explain that to their constituents and "walk the plank" on the issue in primaries every two years.
Of note: Carpenter said he does have a "pretty good contingency of Republicans that support the policy." He has already successfully flipped some no votes to yes and plans to "keep on keepin' on."
Catch up quick: DACA granted federal protection from deportation and access to work permits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
- It's been 11 years since its 2012 launch but the program remains threatened by the courts.
The intrigue: Republican-controlled Texas was the first to grant eligible undocumented students in-state tuition back in 2001.
- Oklahoma did the same in 2008, and Arizona voters approved a version for all undocumented students just last year.
Indeed, it's a workforce development issue, said Reyna Montoya, founder of Aliento, an Arizona nonprofit advocating for undocumented immigrants.
- "Why don't we just do the right thing that is going to help the state and the students at the same time?" Montoya asked. "We're investing in our taxpayers. They're undocumented, but they still pay taxes."
- Georgian DACA recipients contribute an estimated $88 million annually in tax revenue, according to the Center for American Progress.
- Plus, if these students can further their education they're much more likely to be "self-sufficient" and contribute even more to the economy, she said.
But, but, but: Montoya emphasized that legislation limited to DACA recipients won't be very effective. She recommends including all undocumented students, with residency and high school graduation requirements.
- Today's 9th and 10th graders were born in 2007, when DACA eligibility cuts off, she pointed out.
- "Even if the DACA program was open technically, it would be almost impossible to continue to support the current high school population," she told Axios.
The big picture: A total of eight states, including Georgia, still bar in-state tuition for undocumented students according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.
- Similar efforts have stalled in other states, including Tennessee (most recently in 2017) and North Carolina.
- Florida advocates stopped a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis to reverse the state's in-state tuition access for undocumented students this year.
The bottom line: These young people "aren't going anywhere," Carpenter said.
- "Hell, we can't afford to lose them!" he said. "We don't have enough people to do jobs now."