Below is the letter I sent my State Representative in the Utah Legislature.
Honorable Mr. Sumsion,
I am Darrel Ross, a resident and voter in your district, in Eagle Mountain, Utah. I am writing to ask you to vote against HB 191, a bill that would remove in state tuition from undocumented residents.
While I in no way wish to advocate illegal immigration, or the breaking of the law, this law does nothing but punish the wrong people. This law targets children of people who came here illegally. For many of these children, this is the only home they have known, and are every bit American as you or I. For many of these children, they are the first in their family to attend college, and the family's first hope to break the cycle of poverty that is so often prevalent among "illegals". Our society has a vested interest in helping them become productive members of society rather than continue to find ways to further dehumanize and continue this cycle of poverty.
If it is the People's desire to end illegal immigration, there are other, more productive, ways to do so. There need to be ways to discourage people to immigrate illegally, such as stronger sactions on employers who hire unauthorized people; stricter security at the border. I think an even more productive manner would simply make it easier to immigrate here legally (I got my SECRET security clearance in the military faster and easier than my wife got her Permanent Resident Alien Card), but that is to be done at the National Level. But for the people who are already here, especially the children who have known no other home, we need to focus on solutions to make them productive members of society. Allow them to contribute. We can do this easier by allowing them to get an education, allowing them to work so they can pay taxes and have dignity.
Please remember, the people this bill will effect are God's children too. We as a society have a mandate given us to care for the poor and needy, and many are poor and needy because they lack to tools to rise above poverty, like education and opportunity. Let us not punish them for decisions their parents made.
Darrel Ross
