President Obama plans to use executive action to halt deportation of as many as 5 million people living illegally in the United States and provide paths for work permits and possibly citizenship, according to media reports.
The plan will change the priorities of the country's 12,000 immigration agents, according to the New York Times.
Officials said the plan will allow many parents of children who are American citizens or legal residents to obtain work permits and not worry about discovery and family separation. While reports say this could affect more than 3 million people who have living in the US illegally for at least five years, the White House is also considering a stricter policy.
The plan could be announced as early as Nov. 21, which would give Republicans almost a week to pass immigration reform of their own.
The White House declined to comment until Obama returns Sunday from his trip to East Asia and Australia.
This announcement, while drawing criticism from Republican lawmakers, comes as no surprise. President Obama made his plans on immigration clear following major losses by Democrats in the midterm elections on Nov. 4.
So, before the end of the year, we're going to take whatever lawful actions that I can take, that I believe will improve the functioning of our immigration system, that will allow us to surge additional resources to the border, where I think the vast majority of Americans have the deepest concern.
This news comes on the heels of an announcement of Obama's deal with China to cut carbon emissions in the next decade.
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