Legislator Says Preschool Doesn’t Profit From Illegal Immigrants

— Rep. Justin Harris said Thursday he is not profiting off illegal immigrants at the West Fork preschool he owns.

The first-term Republican said 10 to 12 students at Growing God’s Kingdom preschool lack a Social Security number, but that doesn’t mean they are in the country illegally. The state-subsidized school, which Harris and wife Marsha opened in 2003, has 158 enrolled and includes children up to age 5, he said.

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Harris

Harris said he suspects one child without a Social Security number is in the country illegally. That suspicion is based on Harris’ knowledge of the parents’ backgrounds, he said. However, Harris said he is prohibited by federal law from asking about any student’s citizenship.

The other children without Social Security numbers probably were born in this country to parents who might have lost the Social Security card or did not realize they could have filed for one at the child’s birth, Harris said. Some parents might be waiting for the paperwork to be processed, he said.

The number of students without a Social Security number at Growing God’s Kingdom became an issue recently on Arkansas news and political websites. Max Brantley, editor of the Arkansas Times, questioned whether Harris is a “hypocrite” for introducing House Bill 1008.

The bill, stalled in the House Education Committee, would deny in-state tuition to college students who lack proof of citizenship, such as a Social Security number. The Arkansas Times, an alternative newsweekly in Little Rock, operates a website that features daily news and commentary.

“Among the children he’s receiving reimbursement for are, drum roll, perhaps a dozen dastardly undocumented immigrants,” Brantley wrote Monday. “This is legal and proper, by the way, he just doesn’t want colleges to be able to do the same.”

Harris also denied claims made online he is profiting from a state grant of $534,000 every school year that goes to the preschool. He said the grant pays for school expenses and tuition for 110 children of low-income families.

Tuition for the other students is $125 a week for children from 3 to 5 years old and $140 a week for newborns through 2 years old, Harris said. He said he receives no salary, but his wife is paid $12,000 annually. The remainder is spent on expenses such as rent and teacher salaries, Harris said.

Political commentator Jason Tolbert of The Tolbert Report website wrote Harris is being targeted because he has taken on the “controversial” issue of illegal immigration. Tolbert noted in a Web posting on Monday that Harris discovered from the state Department of Human Services that Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, asked the department for the number of students without a Social Security number at Growing God’s Kingdom.

Madison confirmed Thursday she sought the information from the state. Since Harris’ legislation would require proof of lawful presence or citizenship for college students, she thought it would be informative to find out whether students at his school had the same requirement, she said.

Madison said she opposes House Bill 1008. She noted colleges and universities already check Social Security numbers as a matter of policy. A law is more difficult to adjust than a policy if a reason arises to make changes, she said.

“I just don’t think we should try to legislate everything,” Madison said.

Harris said the law is needed because not all colleges and universities in Arkansas follow the policy. However, he said he bill probably will not get out of committee this session.

He filed House Bill 1602 on Thursday to require state agencies to notify a legislator if another General Assembly member has filed a public records request seeking information about the colleague.

Richard Hudson, University of Arkansas vice chancellor for government and community relations, said the university follows the state policy on checking Social Security numbers but is “strongly” opposed to House Bill 1008. He said the bill would send an anti-education message to the public.

“We hate to send a negative signal by writing that into law,” he said.

Phyllis Stewart of the state Department of Education said federal law prohibits school officials from checking the citizenship of students from preschool through 12th grade.

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