"Again this week, Rick Perry is lying about his programs to give grants and in-state tuition to illegal aliens," says Debra Medina. "In 2001, Rick Perry signed the nation’s first law giving in-state tuition preferences to illegal aliens ¹. After lying to the state live about it during the Belo debates, he’s lying about it again this week in his answer to the Fort Worth Star Telegram voter’s guide."

"Rick Perry’s program (HB 1403, 2001)² not only violates federal law by giving preferential tuition treatment to illegal aliens, it gives cash grants to those same illegal aliens, while Texans and Americans have to scrimp to pay the continuously rising costs of college education," said Medina.

"Last week, Perry slammed the federal government for costing Texas money by not protecting the border, ³ but Rick Perry has made it clear; pandering to illegal aliens and growing government is more important to him than being responsible with the money of Texas taxpayers," Medina said.

Perry’s deliberate deceit includes his assertion that the illegal aliens are working towards their citizenship and that state agencies, such as the Texas Education Agency (TEA) have been tasked with following up on their citizenship status. The TEA flatly denies Perry’s assertion. Additionally, nothing in the legislation authorizes or requires TEA or any other state agency to follow up on illegal aliens participating in the program. (Politifact Texas: " We rate both Perry's claim — and his campaign aide's attempted correction — False.")

It’s not just that, as independent observers have noted, that Perry’s claims about monitoring illegal aliens are untrue, it’s that his "rationale" for supporting the law is literally impossible. Perry claimed in the recent Belo debate that these illegal aliens were "citizens," and, when boasting about the program, he stated that " I signed House Bill 1403 so that young Texans who graduated from our public schools, regardless of their immigration status, will be able to pay in‑state tuition and take part in the Texas dream. We want bright, new Texans to stay here, and contribute great things to our future." ⁴ Speaking at the debate about the illegal aliens taking taxpayer money, Perry said "those individuals will be great productive citizens of the state of Texas." However, the law Perry signed requires that, in order to be eligible for Texas in-state tuition and cash grants, the illegal alien must stay in Texas three years. Federal law, both when Perry signed the law, and today, states that any person who has resided in the United States illegally for three years is banned for life from ever being lawfully admitted to the United States.

"Perry claims these illegal aliens will be ‘productive’—working ‘citizens.’ But federal law means that no person who ever qualifies for Rick Perry’s illegal alien boondoggle will ever legally work in the United States. That’s not just illegal and immoral, it’s ridiculous. Rick Perry signed that law, and Rick Perry defends it to this day," Medina said.

Governor Perry had a chance to correct his blunder allowing illegal aliens to suck untold dollars out of the wallets of Texas taxpayers, and he blew it. In 2007, the Republican Legislature, led by Representative Debbie Riddle, tried to repeal this financially imprudent and unjust law. Rick Perry’s response? "I’m for leaving the law like it is because I think it serves a good purpose."

"I wonder what that ‘good purpose" might be?" Medina asked. "Is it bleeding the taxpayers of Texas dry, or is it encouraging foreigners to break our laws and invade our territory with the promise of a fat Rick Perry check at the end of the El Norte road, all the while knowingly preventing those same individuals the opportunity to ever become legal citizens?"

Perry may have said " President Fox’s vision for an open border is a vision I embrace,"⁵ but his program of uncontrolled open borders, a "Sanctuary State" and subsidies from the taxpayers to illegal aliens is one that Texans I—and the vast majority of Texans—reject. It’s time for Rick Perry to tell Texans the truth about his posturing and lies on illegal immigration—and its time for him to go."

Debra Medina, a nurse, businesswoman and rancher, is a Republican candidate for Governor of the State of Texas.

---

[1] http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10688/ Gov. Rick Perry's Remarks to the Border Summit " And that vision must include the children of undocumented workers. That’s why Texas took the national lead in allowing such deserving young minds to attend a Texas college at a resident rate."
[2] http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10622/
[3] http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Perry_wants_reimbursement_for_state.html
[4] http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10622/
[5] http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10688/