RALEIGH -- Some North Carolina college students want state lawmakers to join the call to allow illegal immigrant students to attend state community colleges.

Students from UNC-Chapel Hill and other schools across the state are petitioning the General Assembly to keep community college doors open to all students, regardless of immigration status. Wednesday they joined the non-profit advocacy group Adelante Education Coalition to lobby lawmakers.

"We're here just to show our support and to ask for the support of legislators for all young people who are qualified and graduating from North Carolina high schools to be able to go to college," said Kristin Economo, a recent graduate of UNC-CH. She said more than 2,500 students have signed the petition. "We as students understand the importance of young people being able to go to college, so for us, this is an issue that's very close to home."

The Adelante Education Coalition presented their own petitions as well.

"We're here because we believe that our legislators need to hear from our community saying that we are invested in higher education for all students," explained Marisol Jimenez-McGee. "And we're willing to be here talking to them about that issue and voting on that issue."

But some believe that convincing state lawmakers to vote in favor of admitting undocumented students into community colleges may be tough.

"It won't get any traction," said state Rep. Paul Stam, a Republican who represents Wake County. "The temptation for the assembly is just to avoid the question, and not to answer it. We think it ought to be answered one way or the other."

Stam said he believes lawmakers should keep community college doors closed to illegal immigrants.

"There are services that we provide for undocumented immigrants, undocumented aliens: emergency care, elementary/secondary education," Stam said, "but higher education at the community college and university level is one that we don't think the law allows now and should allow."

But those who disagree plan to persevere.

"North Carolina was the first state to extend public education to everybody, and we can't be the first ones to take it away," Economo said. "So we're just trying to share that message with our representatives."

Jimenez-McGee said the Adelante Education Coalition and its supporters plan on "being here all session to make sure legislators know that there is a broad ranging community that is invested in seeing all North Carolina's students have access to higher education."

This week administrators with the state community college system announced that they will no longer allow undocumented or illegal students to seek degrees. The decision came after the state attorney general's office recommended that administrators take that step. But Gov. Mike Easley disagreed with that interpretation of federal law, and so have officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.