College aid sought for illegal immigrants

ALBANY -- Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants would become eligible to receive government financial aid to attend college in New York under a bill that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver introduced Friday.

The powerful Democrat's bill follows the Obama administration's "Dream Act" initiative this week. It defers deportation for young illegal immigrants and makes it easier for them to get better jobs and pay for college.

"My parents came here as immigrants and I was able to have opportunities precisely because this country welcomed my family and allowed us to work hard and succeed," Silver said.

If it becomes law in New York, Silver's measure could influence the presidential debate.

New York's proposal comes two days after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order denying driver's licenses and other public benefits to illegal immigrants who are authorized to work under the Obama program. She said those rights are reserved for legal residents.

Under the federal program, immigrants must prove they arrived in the United States before they turned 16, are under 31 years old and lived in the United States at least five years. They also must be in school or graduated or have served in the U.S. military, have no convictions and pose no threat to public safety.

"We don't have enough engineers and scientists in this country," Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, said in an interview. "If we have young immigrants, we need to give them the opportunity to a college education that will increase our pool and make New York State business better overall."

There was no immediate comment from the Senate's Republican majority or from Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.