Thousands of immigrants stood in front of the White House to know what actions will be taken by President Obama on immigration. Many watched and listened to the President via livestream on their mobile phones and tablets. They also held signs that said “Gracias, Presidente Obama” (Thank you President Obama) and chanted, “Obama, Amigo, El Pueblo esta contigo!” (Obama, Friend, The Community Is With You!) according to NBCNews.com.
Once the President concluded his announcement, many shouted out in joy and thanked him. President Obama’s immigration reform plan would broaden the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and undocumented youth over the age of 31 would also be allowed to apply for a two year deportation relief under DACA. This is a great news and a life-changing event for immigrants like Correa, 32. He is happy that he can now come out of the shadows and join his family members who are U.S. citizens. He said that the new rule will help him get his plumbing license and get better contracts. He said that his mother, daughter, brothers and nephews will really be thankful to the President for his actions.
This is also a great news for one of America’s famous immigrants, Jose Antonio Vargas. He had been waiting for years for such a relief. He was not able to apply for DACA because of the program’s age cap. As Obama has now announced that he will be removing the age restrictions and broadening the DACA program, Vargas and other immigrants will be allowed to apply for deferred action status. He said that he will finally be able to return to the Philippines to visit his mother.
Carlos Gaitan and his wife Fatima Benavides were among the gathering in front of the White House. They stood there with their two U.S. citizen sons and were happy about Obama’s announcement. That is because the President’s rule will help them apply for temporary legal status as their sons are U.S. citizens. However, they said that they want a permanent solution that would benefit all the undocumented immigrants living here.
Obama’s immigration reform plan will give a chance to approximately five million immigrants to avoid deportation and separation from their families. They can find better jobs in the U.S., live here legally and benefit America’s economy.
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