Arizona Republicans are calling it “backdoor amnesty,” presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is saying it’s a “stopgap measure,” and still more are seeing an election-year ploy. But to an estimated 800,000 young illegal immigrants, President Barack Obama’s announcement last week that the U.S. would ease its deportation rules is a chance at education and employment.
The new program allows illegal immigrants to receive a renewable two-year work visa if they were brought to the U.S. by their parents before they were 16, are under the age of 30, have been in the country for at least five consecutive years, and serve in the military, earn a GED or high school diploma, or have not been convicted of a crime.
Obama announced the plan in the Rose Garden of the White House Friday, and many view the plan as an overextension of the president’s power and a way to circumvent Congress on the DREAM Act, a stalled bill very similar to the president’s new policy.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that the president of the U.S. is stating the country should not enforce all of its immigration laws. He said Obama’s plan would have to be challenged in court.
Amidst the political jockeying and finger-pointing that has followed the announcement, the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, an organization supporters DREAM Act supporters who promote civil disobedience, is still hosting its annual graduation ceremony in Washington, D.C. for undocumented youth on June 26.
More than 400 DREAMers are expected to attend this year.
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