I know these stories are written in such a way as to provoke sympathy. However, I suspect they will end up having another effect: illegal aliens will self-deport.
The illegal alien problem has many facets, and so the solution must be multifaceted. Fine the employers and start making them pay retroactive wages, taxes, and benefits on the illegal aliens they hired cheaply under the table. Deport illegal aliens, including their anchor children.
I know that President Trump has said that he struggles with the Dream Act. He shouldn’t have to struggle with this. The intellectual answer is that if these kids are smart enough for university here, they are smart enough for university in their countries of citizenship. If they have already started university here, they can get student visas and leave after they graduate. Too many poor countries suffer brain drain in which their best and brightest get wonderful educations in the US or Europe—and then they decide to stay, leaving their home countries as destitute as ever. What would be the effect on those third world countries if we severely restricted visas for the educated and required them to return home? Wouldn’t they be a force to improve the quality of life in those countries?
I would have no trouble with allowing the DACA agreements already signed, providing that the conditions are strictly enforced. One of those conditions is that they have an agreed-to deadline by which they will leave the US. Just don’t issue any new ones!