Many states fight immigration overhaul for youths - Social Security cards for illegal aliens

President Barack Obama's decision last year to allow young people living in the U.S. illegally to stay and work marked the biggest shift in immigration policy in decades, hailed as a landmark step toward the American dream for a generation of immigrants.

But months later, many immigrants are having vastly different reactions to the change depending on where they live ...

A handful of Republican-led states are blocking basic benefits for those in the program, denying beneficiaries identification cards, driver's licenses, health care, in-state tuition, student financial aid, college admission or other privileges typically afforded to legal residents.

Others have set out welcome signs for the immigrants, including 12 that grant resident tuition for immigrants [illegal aliens] who graduated from local high schools.

Under the so-called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, more than 1 million immigrants [illegal aliens] are eligible for work permits good for two years with no limits on how many times they can be renewed.

"It's really hard that now you have all these doors that you feel are going to be open to you and the doors are still closed," said Reyna Avila, a Phoenix college student who received a work permit and Social Security card under the policy ...

Avila was reminded of what she was missing out on as an Arizona resident when she recently visited an aunt in Illinois who was able to obtain her driver's license because of the Obama policy ...