WA State Lawmakers Seek to Give Financial Aid to Illegal Aliens

Lawmakers in the state of Washington are seeking to pass legislation that would give financial aid to illegal immigrants. Though the measure was approved in the House last week, it is unlikely to pass the Senate, where there is a Republican majority. 

Immigrant groups and Democrats will try to politicize the issue during this November’s elections to gain control of the state Senate. 

Washington state lawmakers opposed to the measure noted that 30,000 students in the state “applied for state financial aid didn’t get it,” and the bill would strain the state’s coffers even more. 

“I’m looking for more dollars for state need grants, but not expanding the pool (of eligible student applicants) at this time,” Sen. Barbara Bailey, the Republican chairwoman of the Senate education committee, told the Associated Press.

Some Republicans believe that Democrats are going to politicize the issue to distract voters away from the economy and the impact Obamacare will have on voters leading up to November elections. 

According to the Associated Press, four other states–California, Texas, New Mexico and Illinois–have passed similar legislation.