Topics: applications, celebration, deferred action, dreamers, immigrants, lines, Obama, Photos, program

Students Irvis Orozco, left, and Jorge Gutierrez hug outside the US Citizenship and Immigration Services at the Federal Building in Los Angeles Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. Hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants scrambled to get papers in order, as the U.S. started accepting applications to allow them to avoid deportation and get a work permit, but not a path to citizenship. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

[PHOTOS] Whirlwind 48 hours for DREAMers across the nation

by Adrian Carrasquillo, @RealAdrianC Follow @NBCLatino

5:00 am on 08/17/2012

First there was momentous elation as President Obama’s deferred action immigration policy allowed undocumented immigrants to apply for two-year stays on deportation and then came the swift frustration as Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, no friend to DREAM-eligible students, declared an Arizona executive order that bars undocumented youth from receiving some public benefits:

DREAMers waited in long lines and then learned about how to properly fill out their applications.

When they heard about what Brewer was doing in Arizona they took to the streets to protest again.

They even went to her offices and did a sit in.

Despite the continuing hardship, removing the threat of deportation for many DREAMers meant they were able to celebrate an official representation of something they’ve always felt in their hearts — being American.

Photos courtesy AP Images and Getty Images

Gregory Weir:

August 18, 2012 at 3:03 pm

More incentives for the hordes of freeloading and criminal illegal aliens (particularly from Mexico and Central America) to run for the border at break-neck speed to get in here while the getting is good. How about the countless people who've been waiting patiently in our immigration system? How do they feel about these disgusting line jumpers now? Obama and his de-facto amnesty is the start of the utter destruction of our quality of life. Mexicans and Central Americans have no desire to embrace our culture, our norms, our moral conduct or any of our traditions and are only bent on bringing their "culture" here. We can see how well it's working in those crime and corruption-infested 3rd world cesspools, can't we?

Gregory Weir:

August 18, 2012 at 9:53 pm

What can be said about lawless and disgusting 3rd world cesspools like Mexico and Central America where every home and building has elaborate wrought-iron bars on all the windows, doors, and driveways? It speaks volumes and it doesn't take a rocket-scientist (or social anthropologist) to understand this "culture-of-crime" is being exported here to this country. Don't believe me? Take a good look at the communities Mexicans and Central Americans have settled in. Mexicans and Central Americans are the ones chiefly responsible for bankrupting and destroying many parts of California, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento, Modesto, San Francisco, Stockton, Fresno, Anaheim, El Centro, etc. They've also destroyed parts of Portland, Yakima, Phoenix, Tuscon, Albuquerque, Chicago, New York, and many other parts of the country too. Enough is enough and we don't need Obama or anyone else giving freeloading and criminal Mexicans and Central Americans any more reasons to sneak into and ruin this country, only to be rewarded with countless taxpayer-funded resources. It's time to keep.