(Headline USA) Minnesota Democrats voted last week to grant illegal immigrants in their state free college tuition, along with several other perks.
Democrat state lawmakers added a number of state benefits for illegals, including allowing them to obtain driver’s licenses, access state-funded healthcare and apply for colleges, according to Axios.
One program in particular, called the “North Star Promise,” will allow illegal immigrants to have their full tuition paid for if they enroll in a two or four-year program within the University of Minnesota or Minnesota State University systems.
To be eligible for the program, illegals must come from a household with an income of $80,000 or less and have either graduated from a Minnesota high school or have lived in the state for a year without previously being enrolled in a college.
“We want to make sure that when we’re expanding opportunities for everybody, we’re doing it for all Minnesotans, regardless of background, regardless of their documentation status,” Democrat state Sen.Omar Fateh said.
Fateh then absurdly claimed colleges would shut down unless illegals are allowed to enroll.
“We’ve been seeing declining enrollment on all campuses,” Fateh said. “If we don’t do something quick, we’re at risk of shutting down some campuses. … I see this bill as an enrollment driver.”
The program will be during the 2024-2025 school year and is expected to cost the state $117 million in its first fiscal year.
State Rep. Marion O’Neill, the only Republican on the legislature’s higher education committee, said she was “completely frozen out of all discussions.”
The move from Minnesota Democrats comes as the U.S. experiences record-breaking illegal immigration, with tens of thousands of illegals crossing the southern border every month. There have been more than 1 million encounters with illegals crossing the border already this year.
