Feds: College OK for illegal immigrants
By Kristin Collins, Staff Writer
Modified: May 09, 2008 03:30 PM
No federal law prohibits North Carolina from admitting illegal immigrants to its colleges and universities, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said today.
The statement from federal officials contradicts a letter sent this week by the office of state Attorney General Roy Cooper.
The letter from Cooper's office advised the state Community College System that federal law bars the admission of illegal immigrants to public colleges and universities, even if they pay out-of-state tuition.
The letter said that the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, was responsible for enforcing the law and offered to ask the department for further clarification of the law.
The department provided that clarification today, at the request of The News & Observer.
"It is left for the school to decide whether or not to enroll" illegal immigrants, the statement reads. "The Department of Homeland Security does not require any school to determine a student's status."
Cooper's office issued its advisory letter six months after the Community College System instituted a controversial new policy requiring admission of all students, regardless of their immigration status, at all of its 58 campuses.
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