In November of 2014, President Obama announced sweeping immigration reform in a series of executive actions to crack down on border crossings, prioritize deportation of felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pay taxes and undergo criminal background checks in order to stay in the U.S. temporarily without fear of deportation. Yesterday, it was announced that applications for expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will be accepted starting February 18.
“This expansion is set to benefit nearly 1 million people, and will protect them from deportation and provide them with work permits,” United We Dream, an immigrant youth organization, said in response to the news.
The applications are for immigrants who entered or stayed in the country illegally since before the age of 16 and lived in the country since January 1, 2010. The plan is poised to let up to 4.7 million of the 11 million undocumented immigrants stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation and will include about 4.4 million who are parents of American citizens or legal residents.
The move has spurred several states to take legal action against the President to prevent these executive actions from taking place, including House Speaker John Boehner. “This isn’t about immigration,” Boehner said. “This is the President violating the Constitution, violating his oath of office, and frankly, not upholding the rule of law.”
All the while, workshops will be set up across the country to educate immigrants on the expanded DACA program, as well as the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program, set to open for applications in May.
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