Opinion: An opportunity to ask Rep Bill Werkheiser about “Opportunity Tuition” for illegals - LTE in the Baxley News-Banner this week

OPINION

An opportunity to ask Rep Bill Werkheiser about “Opportunity Tuition” for illegals

Dear editor,

As a someone who has worked on immigration-related matters for the last nineteen years in the state Capitol, this writer is curious: What are the opinions of readers on creating a state law that would allow residents who are in the U.S. illegally to attend taxpayer-funded colleges in Georgia at a much lower tuition rate than Americans and legal immigrants who come from other states?

I also wonder if area Republicans are aware of Rep Bill Werkheiser’s ideas on that topic.

Appling County Republicans who take advantage of the upcoming opportunity to hear from Rep Bill Werkheiser at the October 19, county GOP meeting may want to ask some detailed questions about legislation he has signed onto. As Americans of all descriptions who take a “pro-enforcement” approach to immigration, we at the Dustin Inman Society hope voters will ask about Rep Werkheiser’s decision to be a cosponsor of HB 131.

HB 131 is legislation that would create a new, special tier of tuition at Georgia’s taxpayer-funded colleges for illegal aliens who are recipients of former President Barack Obama’s deferred action on deportation for illegal aliens who came to the U.S. as “children.” That program is widely known now as “DACA” and has been found to be illegal multiple times in various federal courts. One of them was the 11^th circuit appellate court that in March of 2019 issued a unanimous opinion that included the ruling that illegal aliens with DACA are still illegal aliens. “As DACA recipients, they were simply given a reprieve from removal; that does not mean they are in any way lawfully present…” wrote the panel.

Another federal judge found DACA illegal just last month.

The sponsors of HB 131 have decided to try to allow the illegals in Georgia with the illegal DACA status (about 20k in total) to pay instate tuition plus 10% while an American who lives in Michigan or Kansas, or any other state would pay the much higher out-of-state rate. How much more would the American or legal immigrant pay at South Georgia College?

According to the school’s website, instate tuition at South Georgia State College for a 15-hour class load is $1425.00. The out-of- state charge is $5395.00. The illegals with DACA would pay $1425.00 plus 10% under the language of the bill. Quick math shows that under the proposed new law, an “undocumented” student would pay $1567.50 ($1425.00 plus 10%) for the 15-hour course load while the American paid the full $5395.00.

That’s a difference of $3827.50 per semester if my calculator is correct.

Sponsors of HB 131 have labeled the new, special, low rate for the illegals as “Opportunity Tuition” and the DACA students who benefit from paying less that Americans as “Opportunity Students.”

Rep Werkheiser is one of three Republican cosponsors on the bill along with seven Democrats. The lead sponsor is Rep Kasey Carpenter of Dalton. There are literally hundreds of thousands of illegal border crossers with children on their way into the U.S as I type. Georgia is already home to more illegals than Arizona.

D.A. King – president, The Dustin Inman Society, for the board

Marietta

This letter to the editor was published in the weekly Baxley News-Banner today. We are grateful for the space.

—>UPDATE: The liberal AJC prints a lengthy correction after demand letter from the Dustin Inman Society. More news on this coming soon.

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Daily Signal News report (‘DEFAMATORY’: Conservative Demands Swing-State Newspaper Retract ‘Hate Group’ Smear’)
on the recent AJC attack here by the great Tyler O’Neil.

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I added educational hyperlinks to the below letter – dak.

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October 18, 2024

VIA U.S. REGULAR MAIL & E-MAIL

Leroy Chapman, Jr., Editor in Chief THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION 223 Perimeter Center Pkwy NE Atlanta, Georgia 30346

Re: Demand for Retraction and Apology

Dear Mr. Chapman, Jr.:

I write on behalf of my client, the Dustin Inman Society (DIS), to demand an immediate retraction and apology for the defamatory statements published in your October 7, 2024, article titled “Democrats in this Georgia district are backing a write-in candidate” by Tia Mitchell.

Through use of internet links, the AJC article wrongfully characterizes the Dustin Inman Society as a “Marietta-based anti-immigration hate group.” This characterization is false, defamatory, and published with actual malice. The Dustin Inman Society pushes for secure borders, is not “anti-immigration” and its proprietors do not hate anyone. Rather, DIS advocates for enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and actively opposes unlawful immigration. This distinction is crucial and well-known to staff at your publication.

I paste the offending paragraph from the AJC story:

“A search of activity under her birth name, Karen Sacandy, which Stamper legally changed in 2019, showed that she previously was aligned with a Marietta-based anti-immigration hate group. The group’s website often linked to Sacandy’s activities, like a letter seeking information about the state’s Immigration Enforcement Review Board and a copy of a letter to the editor supporting legislation to prevent immigrants claiming asylum from obtaining driver’s licenses.”

HEMMER WESSELS MCMURTRY PLLC
250 Grandview Drive, Suite 500, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017 ● Phone 859.344.1188 ● Fax 859.578.3869

October 18, 2024 Page 2

We note the AJC informs readers that the Dustin Inman Society “often” linked to Karen Sacandy/Kate Stamper activities — but produces only two occasions.

Your story, for which DIS founder and president D.A. King was not contacted, informs readers that Sacandy/Stamper “was aligned” with the Dustin Inman Society. We note that polls show that a majority of Americans oppose the federal offense of illegal immigration. Since the letter posted on the DIS site was a published missive to the editor at the Cherokee Tribune, we must ask: does this make that newspaper a “Cherokee County-based anti-immigration hate group”?

Your characterization demonstrates a reckless and vindictive disregard for the truth, rising to the level of actual malice as defined in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. Actual malice in defamation law refers to publication of a statement with knowledge that it is false or with reckless disregard of whether it is false or not. Your repeated mischaracterization of the Dustin Inman Society, despite having been corrected on numerous occasions, clearly meets this standard.

The Dustin Inman Society’s position on immigration is clear and public:

1. It supports sustainable levels of legal immigration through established channels.

2. It opposes unlawful immigration due to various societal concerns, including: – Strain on public resources and services
– Potential and real public safety issues
– Economic impacts on low-wage American workers and America’s poor

– Challenges to the rule of law

3. The Dustin Inman Society defends legal immigrants when media attempt to blur the difference between them and illegal aliens.

Moreover, the Dustin Inman Society’s board includes lawful immigrants who have navigated the proper channels for authorized immigration. This fact alone should dispel any notion that the organization is “anti-immigration.” As he has informed you multiple times over much of the last two decades, D.A. King’s sister is a real, legal immigrant.

While we acknowledge that the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated the Dustin Inman Society as an “anti-immigrant hate group that denigrates all immigrants,” your article presents the “anti-immigration hate group” characterization as the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s independent assessment and statement of fact.

This smear is not only demonstrably false and ignores Mr. King’s many communications to you advising you of the truth, but also demonstrates an exceedingly unprofessional failure to fact-check and verify information before publication.

We demand that the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

October 18, 2024 Page 3

1. Immediately publicly retract the defaming statement in the October 7, 2024, article.

2. Publish a prominent apology, equal in visibility and placement to the original defamatory article.

3. Cease and desist from further defamatory characterizations of the Dustin Inman Society.

Failure to comply with these demands may result in further legal action. We expect your prompt attention to this matter and await your timely response.

Sincerely,

Todd V. McMurtry

cc: James Abely, Esq.