Silva votes against bill to give financial aid to illegal immigrants

Assemblyman Jim Silva voted this week against a bill that would allow public colleges and universities to give financial aid to illegal immigrants. While the bill ultimately passed in the state Assembly over Republicans’ objections, Silva criticized the measure as an unwanted cost in a tight budget period.

Assembly Bill 2083 would give college students without legal immigration status the ability to apply for financial aid and fee waivers. Silva said it would waste $2 million per year.

“We have a $17 billion budget deficit,” Silva said in a statement. “Democrats have balked at the Republican plan to fully fund Proposition 98, college students recently had their fees increased and teachers are being told they might not have a job next year. And the Democrats’ solution is to give more benefits to illegal immigrants? The fact that Democrats expect Californians to subsidize the education of people here illegally is a slap in the face of legal immigrants and U.S. citizens who make huge sacrifices to afford their education.”

The bill passed the Assembly floor and now moves on to the state Senate.

— Michael Alexander