Jesus Salas resigned in protest from the UW System Board of Regents Friday, in response to a provision allowing students who are the children of undocumented workers to pay in-state tuition being left out of the final state budget.

Salas said in a letter to Gov. Jim Doyle that he found Doyle’s actions “intolerable.”

“Today, I refuse to join you in celebrating the signing of the 2007-2009 WI budget. For us, it is a day of mourning for the future of our children who, through no fault of their own, continue to be denied access to the UW System,” the letter stated.

Doyle’s previous support of the Real I.D. legislation, which denies illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses, is also singled out for criticism by Salas in the letter.

Board of Regents President Mark Bradley said he was surprised about the letter, and that Salas did not mention his intention to resign when Bradley spoke to him on Wednesday.

Bradley said the Regents have previously supported the tuition provisions Salas mentioned in the letter. Salas chaired the Physical Planning Committee for several years and his expertise in the area will be missed, according to Bradley.

Doyle spokesperson Carla Vigue said the office of the Governor was surprised by the resignation. Doyle had included the tuition remission provisions in his version of the budget, but Assembly Republicans, according to Vigue, removed it.

Vigue said it could possibly take months for Doyle to find and appoint a new regent.