Posted on March 18, 2005

House OKs Immigrant Scholarships

Diana M. Alba, Las Cruces Sun-News (NM), Mar. 17

SANTA FE — A bill that would grant illegal immigrants the right to apply for lottery scholarships and in-state college tuition passed Tuesday in the House.

After a debate that lasted most of the afternoon, the House approved on a 41-26 vote a bill that would give illegal immigrants who graduate from a New Mexico high school — or earn their GED in the state — the chance to earn scholarships.

The bill already passed in the Senate, and will now go to the governor for consideration.

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Rep. Antonio Lujan, D-Las Cruces, said he questioned whether trying to obtain a college education is illegal behavior.

“I rise in strong support of this,” he said. “When you look at education, it’s really a universal human right. … I have a hard time constantly hearing the word ‘illegal alien.’”