MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Senate Education Policy Committee passed legislation on Wednesday allowing illegal immigrants to attend college.
House Bill 210 (HB210) by State Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road) would amend the state's prohibition against illegal immigrants enrolling in or attending any public postsecondary education institution. The bill would make exceptions for those who have attended a high school for three or more years, graduated, earned a GED certification, or completed other equivalent education, and have filed for a lawful presence in the United States.
The bill passed the House of Representatives last week.
"In 2010, we passed a bill to where it doesn't allow any illegals to go to college, and that's a good bill, but now we have found in our workforce committee that there are some that have filed for legal status and that have completed school here in the United States and their families have brought them over no fault to them and they plan to stay and make a life here," Ingram said in committee. "I'd like to do what we can do to keep them out and keep them all legal, but we want to be able to keep them to where they can contribute back to society, and this bill just allows them if they've completed those statuses on school and also applied for legal status then they can attend the school. We're only one of two in the union that doesn't allow that."
The bill now heads to the full Senate for their consideration. There are four days left in this legislative session.
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