Give them (the older teens and young adults) the opportunity to become citizens. It will be their choice. I’m sure given a choice, most if not all will choose to do so.
Now, the recent arrivals will have to return to their countries with their families and come in the correct and legal way.
There are many people waiting to become citizens who have gone about it legally, and it is not fair or equitable for those who have not to take primacy.
But, for children who came to the US as infants or toddlers and have grown up knowing nowhere else, it would be cruel to deport them to their countries of origin and probably dangerous for them IMHO.
I have to agree, though most won’t.
They didn’t ASK to be raised in a different country.
Barring any criminal past, give ‘em a shot.
I’m against citizenship, but maybe I’m wrong.
Illegal aliens cannot apply even for legal status from here, much less citizenship. They must return to their own country to apply like everybody else.
It does not matter how long they have been breaking our laws, there should be no special accommodations made, how are we going to deport the parents, uncles, cousins, etc.?
NEVER!
It was cruel to facilitate their staying here as illegal immigrants.
If you had to go through what I, as a natural born American, went through to adopt an infant from another country, you'd have no sympathy for these people, what-so-ever.