Rohrabacher threatens to cut UC funding over aid for illegals
A California congressman is warning the University of California system that its policy of sheltering illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement agencies could end up being quite costly.
Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher announced in a press release Thursday that he sent a letter to UC system President Janet Napolitano warning that “continuing to accommodate illegal immigrants” in the state university could result in a cut of federal research funds.
Rohrabacher cited a November 30 statement in which Napolitano declared that the university system will continue to admit students into its programs “without regard to immigration status,” and that campus police would neither attempt to discern an individual’s immigration status nor provide such information to federal authorities.
[RELATED:UC system pledges $25 million for illegal immigrant scholarships]
“Your commitment to spending scarce resources to finance people illegally present in the United States is unacceptable and a flagrant misuse of taxpayer money,” Rohrabacher states in the letter. “This is an insult to Americans and legal immigrants who pay your salary.”
Rohrabacher warns that the newly elected Congress, which the GOP holds the majority of, will not look favorably upon universities that protect “people illegally present in our country” when it comes to granting federal funds.
“It may be prudent for you to consider that approximately 50% of the University of California’s research funding is supported by federal taxpayers’ dollars before pledging non-compliance with federal law,” he observes.
[RELATED: Cal Poly student gov endorses ‘safe space’ for illegals]
Ariana Rowlands, President of the University of California, Irvine College Republicans and current candidate for State Chair of the California College Republicans, told Campus Reform that she was thrilled with Rohrabacher’s declaration.
“Congressman Rohrabacher is absolutely spot-on with his statement to Napolitano, and offers resistance to the leftist campus climate on a level hardly seen here in California,” Rowlands said.
[RELATED: CA lawmaker takes aim at campus speech restrictions]
“As a College Republican leader on a UC campus directly affected by Napolitano's leftist oversight, I deeply appreciate and admire that Rohrabacher is standing up for and voicing the concerns held by conservatives like me on UC campuses,” she added. “It is outrageous that the UC system has decided to coddle illegal immigrants and perpetuate a victimhood mentality amongst 'marginalized' groups that only serves to carelessly and inadvertently create further division and inequality on our campuses and in our culture.”
Campus Reform reached out to the University of California for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
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