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President Barack Obama laid out his plan to overhaul the US immigration system in a Thursday night speech that will test the extent of his ability to use executive action.

Today, our immigration system is brokenand everybody knows it, Obama told Americans in a nationally televised address.

Obama laid out a broad three-point plan for immigration reform: providing border security with additional resources, making it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants to stay and contribute to our economy and offering opportunities for some undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation.

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Under the plan, undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for five years or more, have children who are citizens or legal residents, formally register, pass a criminal background check, and are willing to pay their fair share of taxes will be able to stay in the country without fear of deportation, the President said.

Even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants...still live here illegally, Obama said, noting that deportations were up 80 percent over the past six years. And lets be honesttracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isnt realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isnt being straight with you.

Obama also addressed critics of his proposals, flipping their charge that the White Houses plan would amount to amnesty for some undocumented immigrants.

I know some of the critics of this action call it amnestywell, its not, he said. Amnesty is the immigration system we have today millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time. Thats the real amnestyleaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair, mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What Im describing is accountability.

The Associated Press previously reported, the rules could impact up to 5 million of the 11 million undocumented immigrants believed to be residing in the US. The crux of the White Houses plan is to protect undocumented parents of children born in the US from deportation.

Republicans have balked at Obamas decision to use executive action, which they criticized as an overreach of presidential powers.

Originally posted here:
President Obama Announces Executive Action on Immigration Reform