June 16, 2012 – Yesterday, in a press conference in the Rose Garden, President Obama announced he had just issued an executive order to halt the deportation of children who were brought by their parents to this country illegally. President Obama has become frustrated with Congress not passing the DREAM Act and dealing with this problem, so he decided to take a bold step and issue the order. He said in his statement It is only a temporary measure, and it is NOT a path to citizenship; it is meant as a humanitarian gesture and to prod Congress into action. Obama said he hopes it provides a "degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people."
This order will protect as much as 800,000 young people from being deported, as long as they "do not present a risk to national security and public safety", and can prove a few things to the government. They have to prove they were brought to this country before they turned 16, and be under the age of 30. They must have lived in the US for at least 5 continuous years, have no criminal record, graduated high school or have a GED. If they served in the military that helps too.
President Obama and the Democrats want Congress to pass the DREAM Act, a path to citizenship for these young people if they go to college. Read more about the order on MiamiHerald.com here. To find out more about the DREAM Act, check out DreamAct.info. Below, watch President Obama's statement in the Rose Garden, including the reporter who interrupted him, from 11MOAX on YouTube.
