President Barack Obama laid out details of his new immigration policy that will stop deporting and will issue work permits to up to 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children and have never committed a crime.

Under the administration plan, illegal immigrants will be immune from deportation if they were brought to the United States before turning 16 and are younger than 30. They would have to have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal record, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED, or served in the military.

Obama’s new immigration plan closely resembles the DREAM Act, which was blocked in 2010 by Republican lawmakers and would in its fullest form provide permanent residency to law-abiding immigrants who graduate from high school or serve in the U.S. military. But many Latinos have criticized the president for not taking enough action under the DREAM Act, as many youths eligible to remain in the country under the measure have continued to be forced out. Finally, Obama has answered their calls to exercise his authority. Under his executive order, young people who would be eligible under the DREAM Act to remain in the U.S. can now receive work permits and protection from deportation for two years, with the possibility of renewal.

Sacramento Immigration Law Attorneys

The immigration lawyers of Bowman & Associates help clients across California from our offices in Sacramento and Folsom. If you or someone you know has legal questions regarding immigration, deportation, citizenship, immigration bonds and more, contact our experienced attorneys for a free case evaluation. We are here to help…