The sad thing is, these demands will probably be met:

Like generations of citizens before them, California State University, Chico, students Alba Miranda, Hector Najera and Rene Ochoa descended on the Capitol on Monday to petition members of the Legislature.

Except the three honor students aren’t citizens — they’re illegal immigrants, who under state law have a legal right to in-state tuition at California’s colleges and universities, but are not eligible for financial aid.

Dozens of students like them from across California came to Sacramento to urge legislators to support a measure — Senate Bill 160 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles — that would allow them to apply for such assistance.

“This legislation would just allow us to be able to fill out applications and compete for a scholarship,” Ochoa said.

The measure has cleared the Senate and is scheduled to be heard Tuesday by the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Cedillo predicts it will land on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk later this summer, as immigration heats up as an election year issue.