'Illegals' debate reflects bias vs. all immigrants

The steep rise in the number of citizenship applications around the country is a welcome - and unintended - byproduct of the Senate's shameful failure to do its job on immigration reform.

At a time of unprecedented hostility toward immigrants, thousands of them are taking the necessary steps to claim their rightful place in American society. And that's good news.

These are people who left behind their country, their language, their family and their friends to pursue the American Dream. What many have found instead is prejudice, persecution, mistrust and outright racism.

"I learned that it is a cruel world and that I don't have many choices," said 15-year-old Christian, a Mexican-born undocumented high school student who was brought to New York by his parents when he was 4. He could be speaking for thousands of decent, smart, hard-working immigrants like him.

The hostility, no matter what they say, is not directed only toward the undocumented.