Growing push by lawmakers to help ‘Dreamers’ attend Georgia colleges

State lawmakers from both major political parties have taken turns in recent weeks to craft bills that help immigrants who have been granted a temporary reprieve from deportation — often called “Dreamers” — get an education in Georgia’s public colleges an

Those students currently pay out-of-state tuition, which is at least three times higher than the in-state cost to study at University System of Georgia schools. But there are two bills that have been introduced and a third expected Monday that allow “Dreamers” to pay instate tuition.

The first bill, introduced earlier this month, came from a group of six Democratic lawmakers, led by House Minority Leader Robert Trammell.

The second bill was dropped last week by state Rep. David Clark, R-buford. The third is being led by state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, Rdalton, and the bill’s current draft has the support of four co-sponsors, including Rep. Spencer Frye, a Democrat from Athens.

The legislative push comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected in June to rule on the legality of the federal government’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA, which started in 2012, grants two-year work permits and deportation deferrals to immigrants who were brought here illegally as children. There are about 21,000 people in the state participating in the program.

Charles Kuck, a local immigration attorney who has represented the interests of DACA participants in various legal disputes, said the bipartisan support stems, in part, from lawmakers eager to help businesses hire more college-educated workers. State leaders repeatedly recite statistics showing a future gap in qualified employees in Georgia.

“There is a broad realization that depriving them of the right to a public education is bad policy, especially as related to these young people who have been educated in public high schools and especially at a time where we’re in desperate need of educated workers in this state,” Kuck said Friday.

Supporters recognize many conservative constituents, and some lawmakers, won’t support the plan.

“Some districts can support it. Some can’t. There’s no hard feelings if you can’t,” said Carpenter.