GOP opposes California tuition aid for Illegal Immigrants

(The Center Square) – Republicans are pushing back against California programs that provide taxpayer-funded tuition assistance to illegal immigrants, arguing the policies divert resources from the state’s taxpayers.

The California Dream Act Application allows illegal immigrants and students from mixed-status families to access state-funded financial aid for higher education.

The program applies to students attending public universities. There are currently around 9,500 California State University illegal immigrant students and about 4,000 University of California illegal immigrant students.

“Undocumented Californians are tax-paying residents,” Marissa Saldivar, assistant deputy director of communications for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, told The Center Square.

California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, rejected that argument, calling it a “diversionary tactic” in an exclusive interview with The Center Square.

“Whether they pay some sales tax here and there is irrelevant,” DeMa...