CONWAY - Gov. Mike Beebe says the Hispanic community has a "disconnect" when it comes to the subject of illegal immigration.
Beebe told an audience at the University of Central Arkansas that while he doesn't want to paint Hispanics with a wide brush, but "one of the things that the Hispanic community has, in effect, a disconnect with, with the non-Hispanic community, is the whole issue of 'illegal.'"
The governor said, "If it is illegal, it means it's illegal."
Beebe fielded questions at a public forum on campus Wednesday when a student, Manny Sepulveda, mentioned federal legislation that would put the children of illegal aliens on a path toward citizenship if they entered the U.S. before turning 16 and plan to attend college or join the military. The bill failed in a test vote in the Senate on Wednesday.
Sepulveda asked what Beebe was doing for students in Arkansas who want to attend college but may not be in the country legally.
"What are we doing on the state level? Absolutely nothing, because it would violate federal law, or at least it would open the state up to paying moneys that we could never afford with regard to illegal immigrants," Beebe said.
Beebe's predecessor, Mike Huckabee, supported legislation in 2005 that would provide college scholarships and in-state tuition rates to the children of illegal aliens.
Then state attorney general, Beebe told the Legislature that the proposal might conflict with federal law that requires equal treatment and opportunity for American citizens. The bill passed in the House but fell short of approval in the Senate.
Beebe said he took an oath as governor to uphold the constitution and the laws. "And that will guide me," he said.
Sepulveda, an officer with the Latinos United organization at UCA, said later that Beebe's answer disappointed him.
"He ducked the question of what can be done. [He said] what he won't do, instead of saying, 'I can't do this because of my belief, but this is what I can do,'" Sepulveda said.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 10/26/2007