The Obama administration will kick off one of the most sweeping changes in immigration policy in decades Wednesday, allowing an estimated 1.7 million young undocumented immigrants to apply for the temporary right to live and work openly in the United States without fear of deportation.
Immigrants have waited for final details of the plan in the two months since President Obama pledged to brush aside years of congressional stalemate over the Dream Act andgrant de facto residency to qualified immigrants who were brought to the country as children.
On Tuesday, officials surprised advocacy groups by posting the application forms online one day early. Advocates across the country are planning workshops Wednesday for hundreds of immigrants eager to learn who will qualify and how to apply.
Families have been scrambling to assemble school records, utility bills and other documents that may be needed, they said.
“People are very, very anxious to file, so we’ve been telling them to over-prepare,” said Emid Gonzalez, manager of legal services at Casa de Maryland. The group has scheduled an afternoon workshop Wednesday at which she expects to see family documents by the armload. “The phone has been ringing off the hook.”
The program is open to immigrants ages 15 to 31 who came to the country before they were 16 and have lived here continuously for at least the past five years. Among other restrictions, they must be free of serious criminal convictions, be enrolled in or have completed high school, or have served in the U.S. military. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that those enrolled in GED programs and certain training programs will also qualify, broadening the program’s potential reach.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also provided a list of documents it will accept as proof of continuous residency, including tax receipts, bank records, and church confirmation and other religious records…..
This move by Obama will benefit over a million immigrant’s in the United States….While it is aimed at Latino’s….It will in fact be a stepping stone for other ethic groups …..
It will surely result a good will for the President across the country from the legal, voting relatives those involved…..
The trick for the Obama Administration is to NOT let the paperwork become endlessly mired in confusion and inaction….
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In the age of fast and furious, why should these illegals not think ICE can now track who their parents are?
on ICE Manila….
for the next 80 days or ICE isn’t gonna do much of ANYTHING big against illegals
Manila is an illustration of why Republicans will continue to see their share of the Hispanic vote drop
Withinh five to ten years it will be down to the level of Blacks(less than ten percent)
Then his party will need about 80% of the White vote to win a national election
And states like Arizona and Texas will all of a sudden be in play
Keep the Hispanic bashing going
Republicans!
Unloose some of these southern Republican bigots who have found that posting monkey jokes on the Internet ain’t kosher anymore
But hey a little anti Hispanic talk?
Maybe can get away with that
Sure as Hell is ok for the good ol boys
Mayne Newt can call Obama the “taco” President?
Tell’m Jack!