Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada would like to see the children of illegal immigrants in Virginia offered in-state tuition at public universities — but he’s not kidding himself.
On WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, Tejada said that Virginia Republicans, including Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, would never support such a plan.
“I don’t think that there’s a chance right now [given] the political environment,” Tejada said.
A woman who called into the show questioned the wisdom of granting illegal immigrant children in-state college tuition when they would be unable to legally obtain a job in the United States.
The children of illegal immigrants still must go through the same college admission process as other students, Tejada argued. He said that illegal immigrant children should be given the same opportunities as the children of legal Virginia residents.
“We have the best and the brightest — some who are valedictorians — we are not allowing them to continue their education,” Tejada said. “It is wrong.”
Tejada says that he supports comprehensive immigration reform.