Each year approximately 2.8 million students graduate from US High Schools. Some will go on to college, join the military, or take other paths in life, hopefully all becoming productive members of society.

But for approximately 65,000 of them, these opportunities will never be available. Not because they lack motivation, or achievement, but because of the undocumented status passed on to them by their parents.

Lacking legal status and social security numbers, these students, raised and schooled in the US, cannot apply to college, get jobs other than those at the bottom of the economic ladder, or otherwise follow their dreams.

They grew up on American soil, worked hard and succeeded in spite of all odds, and want nothing more than to be recognized as individuals and not just the holders of a status they had no part in acquiring.

In Washington, politicians have debated the fate of these kids for more than seven years, holding lives and futures in their hands while vying for political advantage.

For these kids, and thousands more who have already managed through sheer force of will to complete their higher education, but now face a life of uncertainty and alienation, the DREAM Act is the only answer.

There is mounting evidence that the recent spate of immigration raids might have more far-reaching implications than originally thought.  Appearing at first to be the result of increased pressure from the right to take a tougher stance on illegal employers, growing evidence suggests that in some cases the raids are instead being used by businesses to help them fight union organizers.

Questions first came up after the raids last December 12th on the Swift&Co. plants following management's cooperation in ICE's Basic Pilot program to screen for undocumented immigrants.

Things were further complicated later that month when statements made by ICE chief, Julie Meyers, at a Chicago immigration symposium hinting at a new policy cracking down on unions were revealed. Speaking before the University of Chicago Legal Forum, Meyers stated that due to unions increasingly providing representation to undocumented workers, ICE would  "need to look at" unions' possible violations of the boundary between "charitable assistance and the unlawful employment of aliens."

In the early morning hours of May 12th, about a dozen Iraqi insurgents ambushed a small Army outpost in the village of  Quarghouli in the Sunni Triangle. With a volley of rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire it wasn't long before they overwhelmed the seven soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division.

By the time a relief force reached the site, four US servicemen and their Iraqi Army interpreter lay dead.  The fate of the other three soldiers was unknown, but there was evidence that they had been abducted.  Within hours, a group calling itself Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia announced that it was not only responsible for the ambush, but was holding the three missing Americans.

A massive search effort was initiated utilizing 4000 US soldiers, 2,000 Iraqi troops, helicopters, search dogs and FBI interrogators. In the following days the manhunt was massive, homes were searched , canals drained, hundreds interrogated, and many arrested …but still no sign of the missing soldiers. Two more servicemen lost their lives in the search effort, but to no avail

With the recent raids on Swift & Co. plants, and the subsequent detainment of undocumented workers in detention centers, a new round of debate has opened up on the issue of immigration and immigration reform.

As the new congress is about to take office in a few weeks, perhaps it is time to re-examine what needs to be done about this issue and perhaps re-define the goals and terms of the debate. With the emergence of a new growing populism within the progressive ranks, it is important that we not be drawn to solutions and proposals that run contrary to the basic progressive beliefs in human value and dignity.

With that in mind, what follows is a proposal for how to address this issue effectively while still remaining true to the ideals of liberal and progressive thought... a policy paper if you must... but I'd rather think of it as a starting point for meaningful dialogue.

I had an opportunity to put a few questions via e-mail to Fighting Dem Carl Sheeler who's running a grassroots campaign for the RI Senate seat that will hopefully be vacated by Lincoln Chaffe (R) this November.  As Chaffe faces a primary challenge from the right, his numbers have been steadily declining in this overwhelmingly Democratic state.  Its quite possible that the real election will be taking place not in November, but rather on September 12th  in the primary between Democratic front-runner and party favorite Sheldon Whitehouse and grassroots progressive Carl Sheeler.  

Dark horse Sheeler, a Gulf War vet, has run as an alternative to the more mainstream Whitehouse.  Sheeler has called for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, the impeachment of the President, repeal of the tax breaks to the rich along with a host of other progressive positions.  Sheeler has been steadily gaining support and could give Whitehouse a run for his money. It's time progressives started to take a serious look at Sheeler.

Tomorrow, July 1st, starts the first day of the summer long effort to register new voters and aid Legal Permanent Residents in acquiring citizenship. Sponsored by a coalition of immigrants rights activist groups, the We Are America coalition will kick off "Democracy Summer" with events throughout the country. With the debate over immigration reform raging and emotions flaring, immigrants have been galvanized into action. Two groups in particular that are being targeted by the activists are those who have been living in the U.S. legally for years as permanent residents (green card holders) but have until now felt no pressing need to attain full citizenship, and the children of immigrants aged 18-24 who have not registered to vote.

This comes, as eligible longtime residents who have had green cards for at least five years are applying in record numbers to become citizens.

Having spent some time reviewing the leaked conservative talking points on immigration reform put forward by Republican spinmeister Frank Luntz, one can only be awestruck by the right-wings' ability to frame and manipulate an issue. "Respect for the Law &Economic Fairness: Illegal Immigration Prevention" is a brilliant piece of political propaganda. In twenty-five pages Luntz manages to hit upon a multitude of tried and true conservative frames. He starts with some classic "mom and apple pie" themes, such as Security, Law and Order, Personal Accountability and Respect for the Rule of Law. He then adds in some of the conservatives favorite "hidden" themes like racism, the economic victimization of average Americans by liberal policies, minority abuse of social services, minorities receiving "special privileges" or treatment, fear, and of course the new favorite; terrorism. In the end he manages to draw a clear line from Reagans "welfare queen", through George Sr.'s "Willie Horton" right to Tom Tancredo's "invading hordes" all without once having to stoop to ever having to say the words, or true meanings behind the inferences.

Contained in Luntz's blueprint is a virtual laundry list of societal and economic woes he directs his conservative brethren to blame squarely on the influx of "illegal aliens" coming over border.

Over the past few weeks over two million people have taken to the streets in cities large and small across this country. On Monday perhaps another two million will join that number. Yet, despite this obviously growing movement, the Democratic Party, both the mainstream component in Washington , and that more "progressive" segment represented in the liberal blogosphere, have been blind to the seismic shift taking place right before their very eyes. It's time to wake up and see the great opportunity that's been presented to not only do the right thing morally and ethically - but also politically.

When millions of people take to the streets, organized only through a grassroots movement, to protest a Republican sponsored bill, passed by an overwhelming Republican majority in the House of Representatives, that was opposed by the majority of Democrats in both the House and Senate - and Democrats don't see that as an opportunity - either they are totally out of touch, or just plain stupid.

What are these protests really about? The answer is simple; H.R. 4437 and its draconian provisions to make all undocumented immigrants and those who would help them into criminals. That's it - nothing more, nothing less.