One of the largest public universities in the United States plans to offer free legal “immigration services” soon. A memorandum signed by the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) student body president and legal services director introduced a program that could protect illegal aliens from deportation at the expense of students.
“We’re defining what a 21st-century institution is,” said Josh Boloña, UCF’s student body president. “People of all types of backgrounds can get an education regardless of the area they come from. UCF has always kind of strived for that.”
The memorandum applies broad language and only mentions “immigration services.” It never mentions illegal aliens in any manner, but Boloña filled in the gaps. While this new program will benefit lawfully present immigrants, he stated it will also cover issues regarding illegal aliens, including “renewing your DACA to potential deportation.”
At UCF, students have to pay “Activity and Service Fees” as part of their tuition for every credit hour. More than $760,000 from those fees go to Student Legal Services, according to the student publication Knight News. The UCF Student Government Association (SGA) is waiting for approval from the Florida Bar Association before implementing the new services. If the memorandum is approved, the university will essentially be forcing students to pay for illegal aliens’ legal services.
This move is not surprising. Boloña himself is an illegal alien and a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
UCF’s protection of illegal aliens started well before this memorandum. Since President Trump took office, university officials have promoted DACA and have promised to support the university’s illegal alien population. Former UCF President John Hitt signed a letter last year that called the preservation of DACA “a moral imperative and a national necessity.” And the university also created a resource page for students who are illegal aliens.
It appears as if the open-borders lobby has a stranglehold on UCF. Offering legal aid to illegal alien students will come at the expense of lawfully present students who are already struggling to afford their own education. In a time when tuition rates are going through the roof, the university could utilize that money to make education more affordable for those who are actually legally permitted to earn an education in the United States. But instead, the university plans to make it even more expensive to earn a degree so that it can shield illegal aliens from law enforcement.