The comments on opinion pieces (mostly) reflects the general sentiment

I always end up reading the comments at the end of the articles. It always fascinates me to see the sentiment out there by "concerned citizens."

I try to understand... really.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/329907_dreamed.html

Dream Act: Smart investment

Four years ago, Washington state began to take its head out of the sand and create higher education options for the many children brought here by illegal immigrant families. The federal government needs to do the same, urgently.
The collapse of major immigration reform efforts will leave rubble in the way of major progress. But practicality, compassion and a concern for the nation's economic and social future should prompt Congress and President Bush to tackle some immigration issues.
One priority is to create a path to citizenship for children of illegal immigrant families who have graduated high school. A bill, called the Dream Act, would allow high school grads legal status after two years of college or service in the military.
The alternative, in an increasingly hostile atmosphere, will be underground, dead-end jobs or deportation to countries that often mean little to children schooled in this country. These are young people who have received their high school education here and want to contribute to the communities they call home.
After an understandably difficult discussion, Washington state decided in 2003 to let undocumented immigrant children pay resident tuition rates at college in certain circumstances. That was a humane recognition of the realities of illegal immigration, long tolerated for its economic benefits.
The toxic atmosphere left by the immigration fight in Congress will make it hard to move forward on even such a modest, common-sense proposal. But if we can't begin to treat students we have educated in our own schools as human beings, the country is more lost than we have ever imagined.