Community colleges to study immigration issue

Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Community College System plans to survey other states on how they handle illegal immigrant enrollment to help develop its own policy.

The system's board last month affirmed its ban on allowing illegal immigrants to enroll, reversing a policy adopted last fall. The move came despite assurances from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that there was no federal regulation prohibiting illegal immigrants from enrolling.

Officials said they would examine various legal opinions on the issue, survey states from California to Virginia on their policies and calculate what North Carolina community colleges would spend to educate an illegal immigrant. They said they hope to complete the study by next spring so that a policy could be in place by next fall.