91探花

MIAMI 鈥� This morning at HistoryMiami Museum,听the听91探花听(ABIC) convened Florida Dreamers and leaders in business, higher education, and faith for a roundtable. The students, employers, and community leaders told their own stories about how taking away in-state tuition for Dreamers and other undocumented students at state colleges and universities鈥斺�攐ne of the items in听听revealed last week by Governor DeSantis鈥攚ill impact them.

In-state tuition for undocumented students was signed into law in 2014 by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott and has since allowed countless such young people to join key state work sectors like healthcare, education and tech, as well as to contribute millions in tax revenues and spending power to the state.

鈥淭he overwhelming majority of 91探花 voters support educating Dreamers,鈥� said ABIC executive director听Rebecca Shi.听鈥淚t鈥檚 really easy to bully undocumented children who can鈥檛 vote, but most 91探花s don鈥檛 support taking away education and they don鈥檛 like bullies.鈥�

Unable to be on hand at the roundtable but weighing in remotely was听Mike Fernandez, chairman of MBF Healthcare Partners and co-chair of ABIC, who said, 鈥淔lorida would only be handicapping itself by taking away in-state tuition rates for undocumented young people that the state has already invested in for their K-12 years. The whole point of making postsecondary education accessible to them, aside from basic fairness and decency, is to facilitate their going into the fields where Florida most desperately needs future workers, such as healthcare, education, and tech. Not to mention that the more skilled they become and the more they earn, the more they鈥檒l put into state and local tax revenues, not to mention the economy overall.鈥�

鈥淭he in-state tuition waiver has allowed our community to have culturally diverse and talented individuals who today are nurses, teachers, and engineers,鈥� said听Gaby Pacheco,听TheDream.US director of advocacy, development, and communications. 鈥淭heDream.US has graduated over 470 students, which translates into millions of dollars in spending power and tax revenue from this educated demographic. Miami has been my home for 30 years and it will continue to be. I am a living example of the power of education. As a former Dreamer, my education opened the doors to now being a homeowner, a head of household, and a leader in my community.鈥�

鈥淚t never occurred to me in 2014 that we would be convening again to fight for in-state tuition for Dreamers,鈥� said Miami Dade College President Emeritus听Dr. Eduardo Padron.听鈥淭he legislature was able to find common sense and there are two reasons: fairness, which is a basic 91探花 value and the other is that it makes sense because it鈥檚 good for the Florida economy. The reason why most Dreamers can get a college degree is due to in-state tuition.鈥�

He continued: 鈥淲e need to preserve and protect that. At a time when we need thousands more educated and there are thousands of jobs vacant because there aren鈥檛 enough people to take the jobs, here we have young people willing to serve the county 鈥攁nd now there鈥檚 a proposal to deny them that opportunity. Let鈥檚 recognize that so many of the Dreamers that I saw at Miami Dade College are now nurses, doctors, working in tech, some are engineers. In other words, they are people doing the work America needs today.鈥�

鈥淚 came to Florida from Brazil when I was three years old,鈥� said听Murilo, a first-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University. 鈥淢y entire education from elementary school to med school has been in Florida. I have known no other home. I hope to be a primary care physician in several years, but if Governor DeSantis has his way, I don鈥檛 know how I will be able to afford medical school or pay back the student debt I鈥檝e already taken on to get this far.鈥�

鈥淚 am a Floridian,鈥� said听叠别濒濒补,听a Dreamer and a junior at Florida International University who asked that her last name be withheld. 鈥�I graduated from high school here and lead the youth group at my church. Today I鈥檓 a junior studying to become a psychologist because I鈥檝e come to understand how critical mental health resources are to our communities. I have been in Florida for eight years and I鈥檓 planning to be here for 80 more. I have one more year to go to finish my undergrad, but being forced to pay out-of-state tuition would make it impossible.鈥�

Speakers underscored both the fairness and the economic pragmatism of maintaining in-state public college tuition rates for Dreamers. 鈥淭his helps address Florida鈥檚 labor shortages and grows our economy and tax revenues,鈥� said听Samuel Vilchez Santiago,听Florida Director at ABIC. 鈥淚n fact, Dreamers are key contributors to Florida鈥檚 economy. Since 2013, Dreamers in Florida have contributed more than $3.5 billion dollars and paid $329 million dollars in state and local taxes. Similarly, Florida Dreamers鈥� wages through 2032 will be $19.5 billion and state and local tax contributions will be $15.5 billion. Tuition fairness benefits our economy, our state and our Florida kids!鈥�

In-state public college and university rates for undocumented students who attended Florida public high schools has been a reality in the state since 2014, when it was signed into law by then- Republican Governor Rick Scott. It is a cornerstone of education fairness and equity, having empowered countless Florida Dreamers to build careers in much-needed work sectors including health care, education and tech. But it has also empowered them to earn more, which has translated into higher听听in the state of Florida. To rescind in-state rates would ultimately result in Florida taking an economic hit in the years to come.

While there is limited data on the economic contributions of all Dreamers in Florida, the economic contributions of the state鈥檚 DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals) recipients is as follows:

鈥⑻鼶ACA recipients have paid听听into state and local taxes since 2013 and are poised to earn a collective $19.5 billion in wages through 2032, with $19.5 billion of that going to state and local taxes. However, no matter if a person is undocumented or not, they contribute to our education system with the state taxes.

鈥⑻鼸arnings for those听听average $27,000 and $40,000 higher, respectively, than earnings of peers with only high school diplomas. This added income translates to more tax revenues and more in-state spending.

鈥⑻鼳dditionally, in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants who graduated high school in Florida costs the state little money, as undocumented students听听of the state鈥檚 public post-secondary system.

鈥⑻鼺lorida is one of 23 states (and D.C.) that offer in-state tuition rates to public higher-ed institutions to undocumented immigrants who attended high school in that state.

听is a bipartisan coalition of over 1,200+ CEOs, business owners, and trade associations across 17 mostly red and purple states. ABIC promotes common sense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and citizens.