Before California strips middle class families of assistance for college tuition, it should first cancel tuition benefits it pays out to illegal immigrants who attend the state’s public universities, a key congressman said Wednesday.
Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed phasing out the Middle Class Scholarship program, saying money needs to go to the poorest families instead.
“I struggle to understand the justification for putting illegal immigrants ahead of middle class American families,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, in a letter to Mr. Brown. “Doing so puts a clear, undue burden on the backs of hard-working families in our state while further incentivizing illegal immigration with the promise of education benefits.”
Mr. Hunter earlier this year introduced a bill to punish sanctuary campuses that protect illegal immigrants, shielding them from federal immigration agents. The bill would also strip federal funds from sanctuaries.
In his letter he asked Mr. Brown to disclose how much California expects to spend on illegal immigrant students.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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