Coming from a less than affluent background, yet blessed with a good mind, I enrolled in a college engineering program at the age of 16.

Knowing nothing of student loans, Pell grants or other means of financing my education, I worked 50 and 60 hours per week in a filling station and did my studying late at night.

Now I hear of young American CITIZENS that can't get into college because for one or another reason they simply can't afford it or overcrowding doesn't allow for it. Pell grants have dried up, Student Loans are harder to get than ever, low-income jobs have gone to the illegal aliens or retired people who can no longer afford their medical expenses.

Even if a student DOES get into college, there is no guarantee they will find work in their chosen field. My own son-in-law got his degree in computer engineering and network systems and has not found a job in that field in over a year! He's paying his student loans working in a tire store.

Our country USED TO BE the land of opportunity for those willing to work hard, but our government has given the country away to corporate lobbyists, big business and the ultra-wealthy who want a steady flow of serfs to provide their comfort.

We cannot afford to be "the land of opportunity" for everyone in the world when we can't even be that for our own citizens.

Regardless of what we have been hearing, MOST of the illegal invaders in this country are working jobs where they are paid in CASH, or they are using phony i.d. and not filing taxes.

The government's current unemployment figures are blatant and easily exposed LIES. (Just check the EMPLOYED STATS for the past 20 years!)

Frankly, these illegal invaders MIGHT get something done in their OWN countries if they would gather by the thousands and parade in the streets waving their flags.

They won't have to though if our Congress continues to SELL US OUT!

In response to "provoice":

"Frankly, these illegal invaders MIGHT get something done in their OWN countries if they would gather by the thousands and parade in the streets waving their flags"

Many, if not most, of these PEOPLE that you refer to as "invaders" would not make the painful decision to leave the lands they love if foreign CORPORATE INVADERS had not destroyed their countries' local economies.

And as far as "these illegal invaders" getting something done in their own countries... What would you have them do? Return to their home countries and topple their corrupt governments that, by the way, usually work HAND in HAND with the United States? No matter how you look at this "immigration issue," it ultimately comes back to the United States' policies.

Give me a break. The United States' government/corporations help burn down other people's countries, and you expect these people to stay put to burn in the fire. And if they don't stay put, you want them walled in by the United States' own Berlin Wall, a.k.a. the border fence.

You want to stop "illegal" immigration? Start by getting corporate pirates out of Latin America. End the "drug war" that sends arms and money to murderous governments in Latin American. STOP blaming PEOPLE that defy unjust immigration "laws" that are comparable to segregation/apartheid laws.

Mitakuye oyasin

Mitakuye oyasin says, "What would you have them do? Return to their home countries and topple their corrupt governments that, by the way, usually work HAND in HAND with the United States? No matter how you look at this "immigration issue," it ultimately comes back to the United States' policies."

Yes, they DO need to topple their governments, or at least reform them! But instead, by allowing 12 million souls to enter our country illegally, we have become ENABLERS of the corruption and unfairness south of the border (including our tax dollars subsidizing agribusinesses, to the ruination of farmers in those countries). How are Mexican and Central American people going to begin demanding the economic changes that much of South America is finally trying, when it's so easy to come north instead? They need a peaceful revolution in their own homelands, and allowing them to work here is delaying it, not encouraging it.

When I look at the Democrats' position on the "undocumented," I wonder why I even bothered to vote in 2006. Massive illegal immigration is driving down wages and hurting America's working families. Provoice said it succinctly above: "We cannot afford to be 'the land of opportunity' for everyone in the world when we can't even be that for our own citizens." This also applies to the subject of the article, the ability to afford a college education.

"Our country USED TO BE the land of opportunity for those willing to work hard,"

Eh, that's a rosy view. Sorry. It wasn't a land of opportunity for everyone.

End NAFTA and GATT.

Forgive third world debt.

Penalize the crap out of businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

Pull all of our troops out of every country they occupy and use them to protect out borders.

There's not need for fences. No need to demonize these people coming over the border. They're not bad people. They're victims too. But by letting them all come here, we're creating another underclass and enabling a highly corrupt oligarchy by taking in all the people they don't want, people who would challenge Mexico's little clique.

I agree with Nyengo completely. The massive migration northward is a symptom of the damage done by neo-colonialism. The U.S. needs to get out of Latin America and let the region grow its own identity. Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador are on their way to rejecting the corporate invaders and building a political economy that lifts all people. If Mexico and Central American nations were to follow their lead, the desperate mass migration northward would be curtailed. Truth is, when the people of Latin America mobilize for progressive change, our government feeds the hands that crush the peaceful, democratic movements. If our military were not bogged down with Iraq, it would be in Venezuela for the oil there instead.

Everyone who believes that the solution to undocumented foreign workers is to arrest and deport them is not being realistic. Perhaps in a smaller country than the United States that idea might be feasible. But there are at least 12 million foreigners without any documentation in the United States. 12 million - that is a lot of people to round up. Besides 12 million out of 300 million is about what five percent of the U.S. population. If Americans are worried that this small number in proportion to the rest of the population truly wreak havoc on your culture and economy perhaps these unfortunate truths will help put the illegal immigration issue in perspective for you:

I seriously doubt you would find many Americans willing to bend down and stretch for hours on end picking fruits and vegetables for fast-food joints for minimum wage - as that kind of work is beneath them. How many Americans are wiling to work in slaughterhouses for your precious McDonalds and Burger King and for the all-American steak and egg breakfasts and barbecues? Even more significant I think, how many Americans are willing to work construction in Las Vegas and Phoenix, two of the fastest growing cities in the United States, in scorching 100 to 120 heat for at least 12 hours a day - everyday? Let me guess a typical American answer for these above questions - "depends on the wage." Am I right?

You see, Mexicans help provide for the Economic standing of your beloved morally superior nation - well what is left of it anyway - precisely by working very important jobs that so many Americans are reluctant to do. To many Mexicans, wage is irrelevent because they know they would make much more money in the United States than in Mexico plus they are not as greedy as many Americans make them out to be. They merely take the jobs that Americans do not want while their own govenment refuses to punish corporations for hiring them - that's all. I have heard so many ignorant Americans say "arrest them and deport them" rather than making it as easy as possible for foreigners to become "legal" workers. This fails to take into consideration the Economic price of the "arrest and deport" solution - even if it was feasible.

Parece todos los ciudandos de los Estados Unidos necisitaran que aprender Espanol muy pronto en las dias veniendo. Estoy curioso pero cuan ustedes se gustan eso verdadero triste los Americanos.

Adele--Let me assure you, it is not "so easy to come north." People die in the desert every day trying to get here. Women are almost always raped by the smugglers. And they do not come because they love our freedom, or even our way of life. They come because they are poverty-stricken, thanks to the policies of their government, in collaboration with ours.
And as far as revolutions go, they had one in Nicaragua in 1979, although it wasn't peaceful. Much blood was shed to throw out the Somoza regime. And thanks again to our stellar leaders, their revolution was crushed, forcing them into even worse poverty.
The solution to the immigration problem is extremely complex, but first and foremost, we have to acknowledge why they feel compelled to leave their homelands to come to a country full of hatred for them.

They come north to take advantage of America and the society that was built by my forefathers because its easy. We had a civil war too and hundreds of thousands of my people died for America. What has Mexico done for America? Dance in the streets when the Twin Towers were hit thats what! They are not smart enough to build their own country otherwise they would!

I am with you, iwarrior.

We could easily coerce other countries, such as Mexico, to become more democratic, provide a reasonable safety net and ensure a measure of opportunity for all their citizens. However, while our so-called government bludgeons the poor around the world and steals their wealth I see no hope.

By now a critical mass should have already gathered to get rid of this criminal adminstration. Replacing it with one that is DLC-approved will ensure that we have hell rather than peace on earth.

What part of 'illegal' is not understood here? We are a nation of laws. If the citizens of this country have to follow them, then why shouldn't we expect visitors to follow them. These 'visitors' have broken our law by coming into the country illegally, are working here without a Visa (which is illegal too), many if not most of them drive without a valid drivers liscense which you cannot get 'legally' without being a legal citizen, drive without insurance, which is illegal and break many other laws too. When one ignores the laws of a country just to get into it, why should you pay any attention to the other laws. As it has been said before, "which part of illegal don't you understand?" Want to solve the problem? Fine every company a half million dollars for every 'illegal' they employee. Once these people cannot get work, because they are here illegally, they will go home and do it the right way. Respect our laws, go home, come back the right way 'legally' like my great grandparents did, and you will be welcomed here with open arms. Until then, if I know you are here illegally, I will tell the INS, the local sherriff, and anyone else who will listen. I will report the company your working for and will complain to all of my friends, the newspapers, and any T.V. station that will listen. Eventually, once your company is known for employing illegals, people will stop doing business with them. Scott S. from Ohio.

"Common Dreams" seems pretty weak on this issue, on migration and borders, for they've hardly promoted any clear radical or even progressive articles on the subject recently.

For all of those who would place people over profits, human needs and freedom over protecting privileges for only some--then consider this: Why should we have borders, anyways? If people want to move from one place to another, how is that hurting anyone? Exploiting one's sister and brother, taking heedlessly from Earth--these are harmful. And moving by airplane and car is also harmful (especially airplane: major global warming contributions). But migrating by foot, by train, by bus, these things do little or no harm. Of course depressing wages due to the use of a super-exploited class of workers is harmful, too, but the answer is working to empower workers everywhere, not criminalizing people for moving to survive.