Joe Guzzardi, guest commentary

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Saturday doomed an effort that would have given hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status if they enrolled in college or joined the military.

Saying the government can't legislate with its heart, Gov. Jan Brewer said Wednesday she opposes the federal DREAM Act.

Saying the government can't legislate with its heart, Gov. Jan Brewer said Wednesday she opposes the federal DREAM Act.

There are three ways to analyze President Obama’s new policy of prosecutorial discretion against seeking the removal of illegal immigrants who meet certain requirements: politically, legally, and as policy.

It is a very complicated issue with matters of law, economics, human dignity, civil rights and just plain civility all playing a part. It is pompous to believe the answers are simple and dangerous when a politician or organization wants to paint any group of people – by religion, race or otherwise – as villains.

Letter writer Dennis Riswold (July 13) epitomizes those in our society who criticize a situation without having even a basic knowledge of the facts involved in that situation. According to Riswold only "Democrats are proposing" illegal alien students be given a path to citizenship under certain circumstances. He either does not know or chooses to ignore the fact that Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah) was an original sponsor of the Dream Act; and his fellow conservative, former Utah Republican Sen. Ben Bennett, also voted in favor of the bill. He is also apparently ignorant of the fact that current Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) as well as the Senate's two independents, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, are all co-sponsors of the Dream Act.

The fear of losing a cushy job and total control of the House and Senate has resulted in the Dems resurrecting a highly contentious part of illegal immigration reform (i.e., the so-called Dream Act — Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors). This piece of legislation now being pursued by Harry Reid would be attached to a pending defense authorization bill. This bill would give young illegal immigrants a path to citizenship by providing numerous advantages for these illegals to have access to higher education.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton signed on to a DREAM Act resolution along with Mayor Jonathan Rothschild of Tucson at a mayor’s conference Thursday in Florida.

WASHINGTON - Calling the nation's immigration laws "sorely outdated and in need of revision," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pressed Monday for passage of the DREAM Act, saying it is the most-urgently needed change to immigration policy.

Joe Guzzardi

Why should students (or any other illegal immigrant) get any special rights like the Democrats are proposing to be an American citizen vs. the person from a foreign country immigrating to the U.S. via the lawful process? Anyone here in the United States illegally should be deported back to their country and pursue the legal way of entering the United States. That's called the Rule of Law (which Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is sworn to uphold, but apparently isn't as the Democrats simply try to buy votes). I did not read in the article any comment/fact by any of the students or Napolitano that any one of the students has applied for legal citizenship. Why haven't these educated illegal alien students learned this process and submitted their application for citizenship? That should be their Dream Act!

WASHINGTON - A group of Arizona students went door-to-door asking friends and businesses for funds to help them take a message to Congress: They want to continue their education here in the country they have always known as home.

Regarding Sunday’s Tribune editorial (“Keep DREAM Act alive”): While I have empathy for illegal minors brought here by illegal means, I have much less tolerance for those same “minors” who turn 18 and yet seem willing to cheat their way into a four-year scholarship to which they are not entitled. How is this any different to an 18-year-old committing a felony and expecting no charges from it, because their parents brought them into the USA illegally as a kid? If this is not amnesty, then please tell me what is?

Teddy Roosevelt being unavailable, Salt River Project has brought in a worthy pinch-hitter for its centennial.

Caps and gowns mark the rite of passage for thousands of East Valley teenagers finishing high school this month, but for some in an invisible class, the celebration is bittersweet.

Geoff Embry has already mentally played out the dream scenario for his final state tennis tournament: It’s him against Tucson Salpointe’s Tommy McGeorge in the 5A Division I championship match.

Geoff Embry has already mentally played out the dream scenario for his final state tennis tournament: It’s him against Tucson Salpointe’s Tommy McGeorge in the 5A Division I championship match.

Supporters of DREAM Act march through Phoenix

Three of Queen Creek High School's best and brightest are heading to Seoul, South Korea, for an academic competition - by clearing hurdles that will make the accomplishment that much more meaningful and instructive.