Migration people scholarship

A public university community in California has a scholarship fund for minority students - including illegal immigrants. The $ 2,500 scholarship has drawn the ire of some, including at least one MP, who threatens to cut off federal funding for school. Orange County in Santa Ana College, says the controversial new memorial scholarship will be funded by private donations and honors former student Tan Ngoc Tran, a student leader and activist for immigrant rights at Brown University before he was killed by a drunk driver on May 15 Students who qualify for the scholarship again be an average of 3.0 or higher grade, demonstrate financial need and have to treat an American citizen. Those eligible include students with a residence permit, students who have permanent residency - and illegal immigrants, undocumented. The grant was announced by Santa Ana College Foundation in an informal memorial service held in Santa Ana Tran College, on Wednesday, said Laurie Weidner, spokeswoman for the Rancho Santiago Community College District, Santa Ana College regulates. Weidner repeatedly emphasized to FoxNews.com that public funds be used for the fair. . But Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican, whose district includes money from the taxpayers of Santa Ana College, says it's not entirely true - because the show diverts resources from Americans who need funds for education. "The fact that an official of a public school is trying to evade the immigration laws is a problem," he told FoxNews.com. "The fact that is associated with a public institution means that public funds are involved: if a fund is administered by officials, the public." He said he could not believe that a university would be a scholarship at a time when most Americans concerned about threats to security in the US-Mexico border rose to announce. The Department of Homeland Security recently sent a warning against a Somali man with reported ties fear that the agency believes that the U.S. trying to cross the border with Mexico. "They completely misunderstood the will of the people," Rohrabacher said of the school. "It's very strange." Republican lawmakers sent a letter to President Erlinda Martinez Santa Ana, and has been in contact with members of the district administration. Board member Philip Yarborough district - that an elected official - said to be a flurry of phone calls from outraged taxpayers who do not want public schools with funding priority given to illegal immigrants. He tried to find out where the money would come from this memorial scholarship fund. However, Weidner, district spokesman, said critics overreacting, and said the privately funded scholarship is conceived as a "wonderful student leader" who continued their education after the honor of the University of the community. Tran, 27, was an illegal immigrant is undertaking a doctorate at Brown University at the time of his death. She was a prominent member of the Dream Team, a pressure group lobbying for the passage of the Dream Act, a bill that would provide some protection for illegal immigrants in the country, including access to scholarship money. "We want all our students to dream big and an Ivy League school - if they try and keep your focus, you can have the American dream," said Weidner. In his letter to the President of the College of Santa Ana, Rohrabacher called the show "an affront to law-abiding citizens whose tax money pays the bill" and "an intolerable insult to immigrants who took the time and effort significant to come legally to this land. "The channeling of scarce resources to illegal immigrants even if they are students, it is inexcusable in an age when many of our citizens and legal residents are struggling to meet their own education," he wrote. "[S] i feel obliged to protect the interests of taxpayers and students can put their own continuation of public funding for the Santa Ana College risk wrong." SACRAMENTO - The state Assembly a law granting illegal immigrant students in the eligibility status of enrollment in public universities in California, the right to request and receive state scholarships and financial aid. If Assembly Bill 131 became law, illegal immigrants would only be eligible for financial aid remaining after legal residents can apply. Opponents claim taxpayer-funded scholarships to students who are illegally in the country will encourage more immigrants come to the state without permission. Republicans also argue that it makes sense to train students who can not work legally after graduation subsidize. The bill author, Councilman Gil Cedillo said he needed to grow California's college-educated workforce. "If we do, we will not invest and prepare for the future," said Councilman Cedillo. "That's our problem that we are not investing in the future and that is why we are in the situation we find ourselves today."