Twenty-Four Americans Challenge Law, Claiming New Policy Discriminates
Against American Citizens
TOPEKA, Kan., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A law suit will be filed on Monday,
July 19 in Federal Court in Topeka, Kansas, charging that a new state law
permitting illegal aliens to attend Kansas public universities at in-state
tuition rates violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and
other federal laws. The suit is being filed on behalf of 24 American citizens
who claim they are being denied the same benefits that Kansas is offering to
illegal immigrants.
The suit seeks to enjoin the law from taking effect, or to require the
state of Kansas to extend in-state tuition benefits to all U.S. citizens
attending a public university in the state.
The suit will be filed by Kris Kobach, a professor of constitutional law
at the University of Missouri, Kansas City Law School, on behalf of the
plaintiffs who were identified by the Federation for American Immigration
Reform (FAIR). Professor Kobach was formerly a senior advisor to the U.S.
Department of Justice on immigration and homeland security. The plaintiffs
include students and parents who are being denied reduced in-state tuition
rates in Kansas universities, while those benefits are being granted to
illegal immigrants.
The suit alleges that the Kansas law, signed on May 20 of this year by
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, violates federal statutes that require that any state
benefit made available to illegal aliens must be offered to citizens who live
in the other 49 states.
"The new law in Kansas offers a better deal to illegal immigrants than it
does to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants, including some who own property
and pay taxes in Kansas," said Dan Stein, executive director of FAIR.
"Ironically, a foreign student who legally obtains a visa to attend a public
university in Kansas will wind up paying a far higher tuition than someone who
broke the law. While this suit is being filed in direct challenge to the
Kansas policy, its outcome could affect similar policies in other states."
Professor Kobach and several of the plaintiffs will hold a press
conference at the south steps of the State Capitol in Topeka at 10:00 AM CDT
on Monday, July 19, 2004. Professor Kobach and several of the students and
parents on whose behalf the suit is being filed will be available to answer
questions from the media.
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SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform
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Related links:
http://www.fairus.org
CONTACT:
Susan Tully of the Federation for American
Immigration Reform, +1-608-606-0631
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