North Carolina: Policy pawns

[Harold Schiffman]

Policy Pawns

After 23 years as an English as a Second Language educator, I have had
the privilege of working with hundreds of talented and motivated
immigrant/refugee students and their families. Whether documented or
not -- and most were -- all were brought here by parents who wanted
nothing more than better lives for their children. Many of these
students have received prestigious awards for leadership and service
and have gone on to achieve great success at universities throughout
the United States.
It is reprehensible that North Carolina community colleges have taken
the drastic and backward step of banning undocumented students from
seeking degrees ("Colleges shut out illegal aliens," May 14). By
removing the opportunity to pursue a contributory and hopeful future,
this policy runs the risk of sending them directly to the gangs that
we educators work so hard to keep them from joining.

Do not allow these young people to become pawns while the federal
government works out a permanent solution to the complicated question
of immigration policy.

Renee Alman

Raleigh

http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1075705.html

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