Obama administration stops deporting DREAM Act-Eligible Immigrants

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

Under the administration plan, illegal immigrants will be immune from deportation if:

• they were brought to the United States before they turned 16
• are younger than 30
• have been in the country for at least five continuous years
• have no criminal history
• graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED or served in the military

They also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed.

The policy will not lead toward citizenship but will remove the threat of deportation and grant the ability to work legally, leaving eligible immigrants able to remain in the United States for extended periods.

Only those individuals who can prove through verifiable documentation that they meet these criteria will be eligible for deferred action.  Individuals will not be eligible if they are not currently in the United States and cannot prove that they have been physically present in the United States for a period of not less than 5 years immediately preceding today’s date.

I personally support this policy change. These kids were brought to the US by family, not by choice. If they fit the above criteria, then they are law abiding people for whom the US is their home. They should be given the opportunity to remain.

Read more at Politico