William R. Richardson: “this amendment is counterproductive, shortsighted, and an unconstitutional attempt to build upon anti- immigrant…”

“this amendment is counterproductive, shortsighted, and an unconstitutional attempt to build upon anti- immigrant sentiment. Not only does the amendment deprive children of receiving an education, but it is also an unfunded Federal mandate that places a huge financial burden on every local school in every district in this Nation. Local schools would be forced to investigate the immigration status of its students and their parents without receiving any money from the Federal Government. In short, this amendment harms schools, and sends the message to some children that they are different and not good enough to receive the same education as other children who, for some reason, are considered better than they are. As proposed, this amendment would expose innocent individuals who are U.S. citizens or otherwise legally admitted into this country to widespread discrimination. It is likely that only those who look different than someone like Mr. Rohrabacher will be asked by untrained school officials to produce proof of citizenship when they are detained or questioned. In fact, innocent individuals have been mistakenly deported, and under this amendment, cases of mistaken identity will be enormously increased. This amendment will force teachers to single out and discriminate against students in order to receive the funds they desperately need.”