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A new ‘gimmick’: College “opportunity tuition” for illegal aliens – D.A. King on Insider Advantage HB 120 (2021)

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by | Mar 8, 2021

 

Conservative Georgia voters are “give-me-that-phone” outraged that HB 120 passed out of the Republican-controlled House Higher Education Committee last Thursday.  

Sponsored by Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, it adjusts Georgia law so illegal aliens pay far less in public post–secondary education system than Americans and legal immigrants who live in most other states.  

It’s being called “equity.” 

The measure is aimed specifically at recipients of former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This is notable in that, contrary to Carpenter’s claims and sympathetic but inaccurate media reports, the bill as moved actually does contain reference to “DACA” for the first time.  Including the billionaires at the little-known FWD.us lobbying corporation, Carpenter has widespread and effective support from the usual special interest suspects.  

Dalton Rep Kasey Carpenter (R).

HB 120 advanced last Thursday by a 16-4 vote in the 25–member committee with all Democrats “present” (it was a ‘hybrid’ meeting) except, apparently, Rep Scott Holcombe. They all voted “yes.” Republicans Trey Kelly and David Knight were absent. 

Voting with the Dems were Republicans Carpenter, Clay Pirkle, Dale Washburn, Marcus Wiedower, Rick Williams, Robert Dickey, Bert Reeves and Katie Dempsey. 

The last two names deserve extra attention. Before the vote, Reeves offered public remarks to Carpenter thanking him for his courage and inspiration in sponsoring the illegal alien-friendly legislation and cited un-named “blatant lies” involved in the widespread opposition to the bill.  

Dempsey’s “yes” vote appears to reflect a leftward evolution in that she was a co–sponsor of Georgia’s nationally–publicized, pro-enforcement ‘Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011′ (HB87).   

Currently, illegal aliens – including DACA recipients – must pay out-of-state tuition in the public-funded higher education schools that allow them to attend. For academic year 2019-2020, the average tuition & fees for Colleges in Georgia was $4,721 for in-state and $16,879 for out-of-state. 

Without so much as a nod to author Georgia Orwell, in place of the words “in–state tuition,” new language in Carpenter’s HB 120 creates a new tier of charges called “Opportunity Tuition.”  

The new “opportunity tuition” rates for illegal aliens with DACA would be no more than 110 percent of the in–state rate. The illegal alien beneficiaries would be known simply as “Opportunity Students.”  

The gimmick is actually quite ingenious in a Snidely Whiplash sort of way. But we are guessing that an immigrant family in Michigan or New York who obeyed our immigration laws to join the American family will disagree. They may not comprehend why they must pay much more for the opportunity to send their kid to Kennesaw State University than a family who illegally jumped a border fence to live illegally in the Peach State. 

Word is that at least some of the Regents were given the opportunity to learn about the new tuition structure well after Thursday’s committee vote. 

If the House Rules chairman sends HB 120 to the floor, now wide-awake Republican voters will have the opportunity to see how their representatives vote on special treatment for “‘victims of borders” in college tuition. It will be a timely lesson, as there are tens of thousands more on their way right now. 

The HB 120 bill language, committee voting record and a link to the official video of the March 4, 2021committee meeting can be seen here. Previous InsiderAdvantage Georgia coverage of HB 120 here.

The above column ran on the subscription outlet Insider Advantage Georgia March 8, 2021. We repost here now because HB 131

D.A. King is president of the Dustin Inman Society and proprietor of ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com 

 

Liberal AJC passes on Rep Chuck Martin’s whopper on lowering tuition for illegal aliens with DACA – HB 131 Kasey Carpenter

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House Higher Education Chairman Chuck Martin (R- Alpharetta) went out of his way to tell his committee last week that GOP Rep Kasey Carpenter’s HB 131 would not give Georgia’s illegal aliens benefits unavailable to Americans and legal immigrants. Martin: “…this does not put people that are in the country illegally in front of others.”

Rep Chuck Martin.

Martin referred to an educational email sent to the Republican members of the committee in an effort to create doubt as to its accuracy. He declined to name the sender. I will. I am the sender. He also incorporated a few lines of the bill that have nothing to do with his remarks – which are entirely false. As a matter of fact it’s difficult not to refer to what state Representative Chuck Martin said as an intentional lie. You can see and hear his entire pre-hearing sale speech to the members of his committee here.

  • Related: A new ‘gimmick’: College “opportunity tuition” for illegal aliens – Insider Advantage HB 120 (2021)

The legislation serves to lower the existing tuition rates paid by illegal aliens in Georgia’s public colleges and tech schools by dodging the term “instate tuition” and creating a new tier of tuition – they are calling it “Opportunity tuition.” Carpenter tried the same hustle in 2021 when his first two tries at fooling his fellow committee members failed. Illegal alien students who benefit from the new rate would be known as “Opportunity students.” That new rate would only be the sum of the instate rate plus one to ten percent – a huge reduction for the illegals.

American and legal immigrants who live in other states would not be eligible for this lower rate. They would still be required to pay the out of state tuition charge.

The powerful Georgia Chamber of Commerce is pushing for this bill to pass – again.

Enter the liberal AJC with a story today from education reporter Vanessa McCray on the bill and the false assurance from Martin (AJC On Campus: Georgia student loan numbers, DACA tuition bill). McCray and her editors know the illegals would be getting a deal on reduced tuition that a U.S. citizen in Michigan (for example) could not get at Georgia’s Kennesaw State University (for example) but they play along with Martin with the knowledge that any ignorant legislators and/or readers will take Martin’s hogwash as fact. For those in the back: the AJC wants the bill to pass.

AJC senior editors

 

 

 

 

 

We expect Martin to allow a few more days before calling a hearing on the bill to allow the AJC distribution of the misinformation to travel around the state. Dollars to donuts other ‘journalists” will parrot the lie.

This is standard fare for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They pulled a similar misinformation campaign the last time Carpenter tried to slide his “illegal aliens first” bill through. See here and here as examples. More on the AJC here.

Request to forward my complaint against Gwinnett Sheriff Keybo Taylor to GBI sent to District Attorney Herb Cranford – with reply OCGA 42-4-14 OCGA 36-80-23

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2 February 2023

Mr. John H. Cranford

District Attorney

Coweta Judicial District

Request to forward my complaint to the GBI and Attorney General

Mr. Cranford,

As you know, private citizens are unable to initiate an investigation into violation of state law by the GBI or the Attorney General’s office. According to the GBI “in most cases requests for assistance from the GBI must come from a criminal justice official such as the Sheriff, Chief of Police, District Attorney or Superior Court Judge.’ I am informed that policy applies to the Attorney General’s office as well.

This letter is my request that you use the power and authority of your office to forward my below complaint and media-distributed evidence to the above offices. Thank you for your assistance in my 2022 complaint against the Carroll County Board of Commissioners for the violations to which members of that body and county attorneys admitted.

Complaint:

I allege that Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor is in defiant violation of OCGA 42-4-14 and OCGA 36-80-23 and has been since taking office on January 1, 2021. On that date Sheriff Taylor announced to the media that his office would not share information on immigration status of prisoners in his jail or other facilities with ICE. According to an Associated Press report Sheriff Taylor’s exact quote was “What we will not be doing is notifying ICE of anybody’s immigration status in the jail or any of our facilities…”

I assert that public statement represents a statement of official policy from Tylor and is an admission to violation of state law. It seems reasonable that it is also sufficient cause for a full investigation in the interest of public safety.

It is apparently true that Taylor went on to qualify his remarks by saying that did not mean he would not cooperate with ICE…”.  But that qualification does not change the fact that Taylor’s stated policy is in clear violation of the law.

I have spent considerable time and effort using open records requests to attempt to get information from the Gwinnett jail on the process involved in use of reasonable effort to discern the immigration status of incoming foreign-born prisoners. I have educated reason to believe the requirements laid out in state law and detailed in the guidelines set forth by the Sheriff’s Association are routinely ignored.

Further, I have reason to believe that there are many other jailers and law enforcement officials in violation of the laws I mention here.

Due to his illegal policies Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor represents a threat to the public safety of all Georgians. Illegal immigration and the absence of enforcement of existing law is killing innocent Americans in our state. The misery caused by “criminal illegals” and anti-enforcement government officials is fully preventable.

I would be grateful for a reply.

Respectfully,

D.A. King –

Marietta  404-…….

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Reply received 12:00 PM Feb 4, 2023

Mr. King,

I have read the letter you sent me. While I may share the concerns you raised in the letter, because this matter involves Gwinnett County, which is not in my jurisdiction, I think it would be improper for me to consider your request that I forward this information to the GBI and Attorney General.

I suggest requesting the same of elected officials in Gwinnett County.

Sincerely,

Herb Cranford

District Attorney

Coweta Judicial Circuit

Coweta County Justice Center

72 Greenville St.

 

Private school tuition: A new state benefit for illegal aliens in GA? #SchoolChoice

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Private school tuition: A new state benefit for illegal aliens in GA? #SchoolChoice

“It is testament to the tenacity, funding and power of the school choice advocates that including illegals in a proposed new state benefit program is even being discussed.”

A battle is coming between the Georgia Republicans who are pushing “school choice” at any cost and pro-enforcement conservatives who refuse to reward and encourage more illegal immigration into Georgia. Expanding benefits for illegal aliens does exactly that. The lobbying money is on the “include the illegals” side. All too often, the truth isn’t.

Despite what Georgians may be told, the 1982 Plyer V Doe Supreme Court decision only requires states to provide public school tuition to K-12 students regardless of immigration status.

A word of experienced advice to readers who may favor “putting parents in charge of education…” but take the pro-enforcement view of the debate: You can save yourself a lot of attacks as being “anti-school choice” if you make clear your opposition to rewarding illegal immigration early in any discussion on the topic….

Here, from DIS & Insider Advantage

Call 404-656-1776 for help on fighting “criminal illegals” in Georgia #BrianKemp

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The Dustin Inman Society offers a reward for information leading to the discovery of a mention of illegal immigration or “criminal illegals” in Georgia by Gov. Brian Kemp since 2018.

 

When asked why he robbed so many banks for so many years, the infamous 20th century thief Willie Sutton is said to have replied, “…because that’s where the money is.”

I have a similar response for people who ask why I often write about Gov Brian Kemp’s defiance on his campaign pledge and his oath of office regarding “criminal illegals,” sanctuary cities (and counties) and the scourge of illegal immigration in Georgia: “Because that’s where guilt” is my unapologetic answer.

William Francis Sutton is one of America’s most famous bank robbers.

On that, if nobody else is going to ask, I will. Again. Why aren’t more conservatives openly outraged, and taking loud public note of Kemp’s dangerous dereliction of duty? Why aren’t newspaper editors, “journalists,” radio show hosts and more Republican officials constantly pushing Kemp to honor his oath of office and enforce the laws aimed at illegal immigration? Why isn’t Kemp in “the news” for something besides “number one for business…” and “he’s never been more popular?”

What about the innocent Georgians who trusted him to protect them from “criminal illegals”? Those are rhetorical questions. There is a cost of doing business to consider for a lot of folks.

I bluntly asked a county GOP chairman here in the Atlanta area last fall why illegal immigration had dropped off the topic list in that group. “Because Gov. Kemp doesn’t like that issue…” was the quick, honest, and educated reply. Indeed.

Ga Gov. Brian Kemp
  • Gov. Kemp’s office phone number in Atlanta is 404-656-1776. Email Gov Kemp here.

Great respect and a well-deserved mention of retired immigration enforcement officer and former Border Patrol agent Bob Trent of St. Mary’s. If you missed Bob’s letter to the editor (“Kemp backs down on immigration”) recently published in the Glynn County paper of record, it’s worth your time to find it. You can also read it on our IPG website.

Forget the loss of ‘the rule of law,’ I am hearing that some readers don’t want to believe that illegal aliens present a danger. Here is a sample of some of the “criminal illegals” that did not escape capture here in Georgia. As of December 31, 2022, there were about 1500 criminal “undocumented workers” in the state prison system. Some of the charges and numbers go like this: Child molestation: 230, Murder: 176, Rape: 157, Armed robbery: 78, Cruelty to children: 7, Kidnapping: 47, Trafficking meth: 99, Vehicular homicide: 10, Aggravated sodomy: 12… the list goes on. That data is courtesy of the Dept. of Corrections via a concerned Republican state Representative.

Totals as of Dec. 31, 2022 from GA. Dept. of Corrections – illegal aliens with ICE detainers in GA prison system.

The complete list from the DOC is posted on the Dustin Inman Society website.

For those who don’t know, the Dustin Inman Society is named after a Woodstock GA youth who is forever 16 years-old because an illegal alien who had been in close contact with local law enforcement agencies multiple times was always released before he finally separated the Inman family forever.

The goal of the Dustin Inman Society is to educate the public and to work to make Georgia as unattractive to illegal immigration as possible. There was a time when that was a goal of most Republican legislators under the Gold Dome. But that was back when most Republican voters didn’t depend on or allow their legislators  – or the governor – to determine “the issues.”

The Dustin Inman Society is completely dependent on donations to operate. We have been struggling here since 2005.

I planned on writing about the push by the big money lobby in Atlanta to pass “school choice” legislation that would make private school tuition a state benefit for illegal alien families today. Maybe next time. If you have an interest in learning more now, please see several relevant posts on ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com.

  • A version of the above option column is also published in The Islander newspaper in Glynn County, GA. today.

New Congressman Rich McCormick commends the Iranian-American community

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I think he is getting better at it.

“I rise today in support of the people of Iran, as they struggle against an oppressive and dangerous regime,” said Rep. McCormick. “I also commend our great Iranian-American community in Georgia and across this nation, who hope that their friends and family on the other side of the world may one day have the freedom and prosperity we all enjoy in the United States.”

 

‘Kemp backs down on immigration’ – Retired INS agent’s letter to the editor published in the Brunswick News – Bob Trent

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The below letter is in today’s edition of the Brunswick News and was also sent to us. Thanks, Bob.

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Kemp backs down on immigration

Gov. Kemp has joined more than 2,500 planetwide elites who gathered to decide how to solve the world’s problems in Davos, Switzerland, at the globalist World Economic Forum. One of those problems is “irregular migration” — or what many of us in the USA refer to as the invasion of our fading nation.

Meanwhile in Georgia, laws put in place to ensure that illegal aliens who land in our jails are reported to federal immigration authorities are defiantly and publicly violated by a very conspicuous Democrat metro-Atlanta jailer. Two years ago, Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor boasted to the media that he will not obey the law and refuses to convey anyone’s illegal immigration status to ICE.

Other Georgia jailers are allowed to operate with this illegal sanctuary policy.

Only six states have more illegal aliens than Georgia. While Kemp turns a blind eye to the “undocumented workers” who are facilitating his “number one for business” reputation, he is ignoring the fully preventable crimes the illegals are committing and illegal immigration at home. Including our children, innocent Georgians are suffering the consequences.

When he ran for governor in 2018, Kemp made clear promises to end “sanctuary cities” and to “track and deport criminal illegals” — he didn’t. Last week he renewed his oath to “take care that the laws are faithfully executed” and be the conservator of the peace. He isn’t — and media is silent.

We can only hope for more conscientious watchdog press coverage if Kemp runs for president.

Robert Trent

St. Marys

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Note: Bob Trent is a retired Senior Special Agent of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (USINS) and served on metropolitan area drug, and organized crime task forces for many years. Bob also supervised special agents assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. In addition, he spent ten years as a uniformed Border Patrol agent assigned to both the northern and southern borders. He retired as  the Assistant Director, Enforcement Training, U.S. Immigration Officer Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA.

The above letter is not the first time Bob has noted Gov. Kemp’s refusal to honor his oath of office on illegal immigration, here is another example.

 

Another check-in with the liberal AJC to be sure I am still blocked – another LTE not published #SchoolChoice

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The below letter was sent to opinion page editor Andre Jackson and the letters submission address the AJC last week (Jan 11). I have been cancelled for about two years.

Here is another example. I have many more.

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Re: “Students need more schooling choices” Buzz Brockway, Jan 10, 2023

“School choice” talk should include immigration reality

In his recent guest column, lobbyist and former Gwinnett Republican state Rep Buzz Brockway offered a renewed argument for K-12 “school choice” in Georgia that warrants further consideration. The premise is that students are behind because of Covid so we need legislation to allow “…parents and guardians to access funds directly…” so they can use state money to pay for private school tuition and other benefits, including private tutoring.

Missing here is recognition of the raging illegal immigration crisis in the nation and in Georgia. Somewhere north of 260,000 unaccompanied migrant children/minors have been encountered at the southern border since President Biden took office, per U.S. Customs & Border Protection agency data. The Center for Immigration Studies in Washington estimates about 80% of the minors are placed with family members who are already living here illegally – including in Georgia.

School choice is a solid idea. Encouraging and rewarding illegal immigration into Georgia with offers of a taxpayer-financed private K-12 school education isn’t. The former should not include the latter.

D.A. KING

MARIETTA

PRESIDENT, THE DUSTIN INMAN SOCIETY

404- ***-*****

 

 

 

Newly sworn GA GOP Congressman Rich McCormick: We need “immigration reform” – Indians are best immigrants

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GA Congressman Rich McCormick – GA06

Updated, Jan 15, 4:50PM.

*Updated Jan 31, 8:54 AM

I confidently predict U.S. Rep Rich McCormick will vote for amnesty if he gets the opportunity.

 

“McCormick, who is a doctor specialising in emergency medicine, said that they “don’t have the problems other people have when they come to the emergency room for overdoses, because these are the most productive and family-centred.”

Absolutely zero surprise here. As a candidate, Rich McCormick, the new Republican for GA06 (my home district) usually evaded the immigration issue like it was illegal to talk about it. I was introduced to him several times as an authority on the topic. After a nod and a cautious-looking half-grin, he couldn’t get away fast enough.

His first attempt at going to Congress was in the old GA07 and failed. Redistricting found him running again in the more Republican GA06 (McCormick lives in the 9th District). On his first campaign site he was firm that we should deport violent criminals and drug dealers…yada, yada.

Some Republican women I know went ga-ga over him from day one – then got plenty upset what I pointed out that “maybe we should deport all illegal aliens.” I heard “well that’s what he really means, D.A…” or “well, we should deport drug dealers, D.A.” in response.

On immigration, this guy brings to mind Mitt Romney – maybe John Cornyn.

He ran on the fact that he is an MD and a former U.S.M.C pilot. I am not the only person here who reads him as a typical, pandering “yes man” for the special interests. Doubters, stay tuned.

It looks like his (successful) second try to get to Washington didn’t include borders or illegal immigration – violent criminals or not – at all. You can take look to see if I am missing anything on his campaign website “priorities” page.

You can also help me find any mention of the raging border crisis or illegal immigration on his House website “issues” page. (I have a screen grab).

The Forsyth County News has a report on “What Rep. Rich McCormick says he wants to tackle in Congress” –  somebody double check because I see zero mention of borders or immigration (registration to read the report is free and quick).

If it helps make my point here, Georgia Gov. Brain Kemp happily endorsed McCormick.

Maybe somebody can ask Kemp why he would back a candidate for the House of Representatives in Georgia that avoids talk of immigration – in a state with more illegal aliens than Arizona.

You will need to wait for Kemp to return from Davos.

Reward for information, Image, Dustin Inman Society

Here is a bit of insight: Kemp doesn’t talk about illegal immigration in Georgia – ever. Georgia is a sanctuary state.

Evading immigration is not that difficult here – the liberal Atlanta Journal Constitution makes sure of it. Check out the grueling questions set out by the AJC on a 2020 “where do the candidates stand on the issues?” piece – (here).

Now, mid-way through his first month in office McCormick has decided to talk about immigration! As in “immigration reform.” As in “streamline the process” and “we need more Indian immigrants…”

This from the January 14, 2023 Siasat Daily:

Making pitch for immigration reform, U.S. lawmaker says Indians pay 6 pc (percent) of taxes”

 New York: Making a pitch for immigration reforms, a Republican lawmaker has cited the contributions of Indian immigrants, who, he said, pay 6 per cent of taxes in the U.S.

 Saying that the US must “make sure we streamline the immigration process”, Rich McCormick said that Indians “represent some of the best citizens we have in America”.

 “They pay about 6 per cent of the taxes and (are) among the top producers,” he said of the Asian Indians who number 4.5 million, making up 1.4 per cent of the total US population of 333 million.

 The Asian Indians, who number 137,000 in the Atlanta area of his state of Georgia, “do not cause problems and follow laws”, he said.

 McCormick, who is a doctor specialising in emergency medicine, said that they “don’t have the problems other people have when they come to the emergency room for overdoses, because these are the most productive and family-centred”.

 McCormick represents a constituency that encompasses the suburbs of Atlanta, an area that has seen an influx of Asian Indians in recent years, fuelled impart by the growth of the science and technology sectors.

 With the long wait for permanent resident status for Indians, a legislation to make more green cards available for them died in the last Congress session.

 The legislation, which had the backing of members of both parties and President Joe Biden’s administration, would have eliminated the limit of 20,000 green cards for each country with some exceptions.

 The matter is expected to come up again in the current session.” Read it here.

Congressman Dr. Rich McCormick (and most GA GOP voters) needs to get out more. Or maybe not flee the scene when he has a chance to talk to a pro-enforcement authority on immigration. Or at least read The India Times “Illegal Immigration From India To US Doubled In 2022, US Government Data Shows.”

And it would help if the Republican grassroots would find a spine and talk back to the candidates and elected officials who are now allowed to decide what “the issues” are – and it’s seldom immigration enforcement.

Georgia is controlled by Chamber of Commerce Republicans – but not many people outside Georgia are watching the train wreck happening here (not many inside the state either).

I left the ballot on our congressional seat blank in the General Election.