College tuition for undocumented immigrants has become an issue in the Cranston mayoral Republican primary between incumbent Mayor Ken Hopkins and challenger state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung.
A mailer sent by Hopkins’ campaign this week reads in part: “Should illegal immigrants get free college tuition? Barbara Fenton-Fung says yes.”
The mailer shows a large number of dark-skinned people crossing a waterway on foot.
Another description from the mailer: “$0 What illegal immigrants can pay for college because of Barbara Fenton Fung.”
Fenton-Fung called the mailer “maliciously false” and scheduled a news conference to respond Thursday morning. In a statement, she said, “The Hopkins operation is the poster child of a desperate campaign in a complete death spiral.”
Here are the facts: in 2021, Fenton-Fung voted in support of two bills: one introduced in-state tuition costs for non-legal residents and attached a host of requirements, including signing an affidavit committing participants to work toward citizenship.
Fenton-Fung was the only Republican to vote in favor as the measure passed the House, 63-9, on an otherwise party-line vote. In the Senate, the House version of the bill was approved, 37-0, with support from such conservatives as Sen. Elaine Morgan (R-Hopkinton), Gordon Rogers (R-Foster) and Jessica de la Cruz (R-North Smithfield), although the Senate version faced more opposition, going through on a 32-6 vote.
The other bill extended a free tuition program at the Community College of Rhode Island, known as College Promise, introduced by then Gov. Gina Raimondo in 2017.
In an interview, Hopkins campaign spokesman Bob Murray disputed that it’s misleading for the campaign to say Fenton-Fung supports free tuition for undocumented residents when she voted in support of that at one of the state’s three institutions of higher learning.
“She can try to defend that vote,” Murray said. “I don’t think it’s misleading. In the case of a mailer, you can’t write an encyclopedia.”
With immigration remaining an issue in the presidential race, most Rhode Island lawmakers see expanded access to education as a good thing for the state.
The first bill in question was called the Student Success Act and was sponsored by Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Providence). In testifying on the bill, she cited the case of Victor Morente — now communications director for the Rhode Island Department of Education — who emigrated from Guatemala to Providence in the early years of his life. With family savings, he could only afford to go to CCRI part-time, until he qualified for resident tuition in 2012 and was able to transfer to Rhode Island College and later become a citizen.
According to a legislative press release, “Supporters of the measure say that it would give immigrant students who may have a hard time in school the incentive to graduate and attend a college or university. Eventually, they said, these students will become tax-paying residents of Rhode Island and contribute to the economy of our state.”
Fenton-Fung declined further comment ahead of her news conference, although she noted under state policy that undocumented students are required to apply for lawful immigration as soon as they are eligible, and that failing to do so will result in the forfeiture of in-state tuition rates.
The phrase “illegal immigrant” has fallen into disfavor with NPR, The Associated Press and other major news organizations.
Cranston voters will decide between Fenton-Fung and Hopkins, a one-time ally of Fenton-Fung’s husband, former Mayor Allan Fung, on Sept. 10.
On Monday, Aug. 26, the two candidates will take part in a 6 p.m. debate being staged at the Cranston Public Library by the Cranston Herald.
This story has been updated to offer additional detail.
