Now that election season is past and the Democrats have maintained control of both houses of the Legislature, one of their signature pieces of legislation is the so called DREAM Act, which would allow the children of illegal immigrants brought here at a young age to attend state college at in-state rates.

In fact, just last month, the Governor did a 180 when he reversed his opposition to the policy in an address before the Latino Leadership Alliance.

"I believe that every child should be able to be given the opportunity to reach their God-given potential. That’s a moral requirement. We need to work together to make sure that that happens. We need to make sure that we continue to work on the issues that will make those children believe they have a bigger and brighter future.

We need to get to work in the state Legislature on things like making sure that there’s tuition equality for everybody in New Jersey,” Christie said, according to several videos of the event posted online.

In 2011, Christie said at a town meeting in Sayreville that he did not support offering in-state tuition to the children of immigrants living in the country illegally.

“I can’t favor that, because we need to have an immigration system where people follow the rules, and I can’t in a difficult time of budget constraints support the idea that we should be giving money in that regard to people who haven’t followed the rules, and take that money from people who have,” Christie said at the time.

So now, armed with resounding mandates, the Legislature is poised to take up the issue with the Governor’s support, virtually assuring its passage.

Democrats plan a big push to grant in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants for the "lame duck" session that lasts until lawmakers finish out their terms in January.
The bill is just one of several major initiatives Democrats, emboldened by their victories, plan to take up.

The tuition bill (A4225) — dubbed the DREAM Act — was advanced by an Assembly committee in June, but leaders pulled it when their members feared it could become toxic in their legislative races. Now, with the closest legislative election two years away — and with Republican Gov. Chris Christie now supporting the idea — leaders are eager to get it passed.

"The DREAM Act is extremely important to get done. I want to get it on the governor’s desk in December," said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), serving her final two months leading the lower house, said she’s especially hopeful it "can be accomplished now that Gov. Christie has announced support for it."

I’m probably on the wrong side of history on this one but here goes:

It would be wrong to pass it. Despite the “unfairness” toward the children of illegals not having a say in having been brought here; they’ve still benefited from, in many cases, a taxpayer supported K-12 education.

And it’s unfair to charge the out of state rate to a legal resident living in, say, New York.

Granting the illegal student, if you will, the in state rate legitimizes the crime their parents have committed coming here illegally.

Or so I've said.

However, as I said, I’m probably on the wrong side of history on this one.

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