Obama’s immigration plan to protect millions

President Obama is to use overriding executive powers to enact major changes to U.S. immigration policy, which could lift the threat of deportation for up to five million undocumented migrants
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Republicans accuse Obama of vastly exceeding his authority and vow to block executive action
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KEY POINTS OF EXECUTIVE ACTION

Expansion of Obama’s 2012 “deferred action” programme (DACA) which allows young adults brought to U.S. illegally by their parents as children to stay and work

Upper age limit for applicants, presently set at 30, likely to be removed, affecting around 700,000* people

Extension of deportation relief to undocumented parents whose children are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents who have lived in U.S. for five years and
have no criminal record

Move would bring another 3.3m people into eligibility ranks, but is expected to exclude parents of those in DACA programme

Current DACA eligible

1.2m

0.7

3.3 million

6.5 million unaffected 

11.7 million unauthorized immigrants (as of 2012)


*Does not include 470,000 youth reaching DACA eligibility age of 15 during 2012-22
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Source: Migration Policy Institute

Picture: Getty Images

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