Hundreds immigrants arrived in Annapolis Monday night to encourage lawmakers to back a series of initiatives aimed at helping them get a good education and preserve their access to legal driver?s licenses.
The rally, organized by CASA of Maryland, has historically been one of the largest during the General Assembly?s 90-day session, according to its organizers.
CASA spokeswoman Alexis De Simone said the group has planned for months for event, and said CASA remains hopeful that lawmakers will support the major pieces of immigrant-aimed legislation before them.
One of the more controversial bills allows immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Maryland?s public colleges and universities regardless of their residency status. The General Assembly passed a similar bill in 2003 but Gov. Robert Ehrlich vetoed it.
Under current law, the state?s major universities require applicants to prove their legal status as Maryland residents ? that they have lived in the state for at least 12 months ? in order to qualify for in-state tuition.
“It?s not anything outrageous,” De Simone said. “These are Maryland residents coming from families paying Maryland taxes. We feel fairly confident [this bill will pass this year].”
“We should not differentiate between those children who are trying to better themselves [regardless of their residency status],” said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, the scheduled keynote speaker at the 7 p.m. rally.
CASA of Maryland and other immigrant advocacy groups have lobbied lawmakers for weeks to increase funding for adult education, including English classes, and to oppose a bill that requires a person to prove their legal residency status to obtain a driver?s license.
Brown said the administration supported calls for the repeal of the federal Real ID Act, scheduled to take effect in 2008, that would mandate certain physical characteristics for driver?s licenses and require proof of legal residency.
“We will continue to work toward balancing the requirements to license our drivers while at the same time securing our communities,” he said.
