U.S. President Barack Obama announced Friday an easing in enforcement of immigration laws, offering hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants the chance to stay in the country to work. “Let's be clear, this is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. This is not a permanent fix,” Obama said in remarks from the White House Rose Garden. “This is the right thing to do.” The policy change, which bypasses Congress, could affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have previously lived in fear of deportation. The move partially achieves goals of the “DREAM Act,” legislation that would establish a permanent path to citizenship for young people who came to the United States with parents illegally but who attend college or join the military. The change will be effective immediately to “lift the shadow of deportation from these young people,” Obama said. The change will be carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.
