On November 20, 2014, President Barack Obama revealed a long-awaited statement concerning the immigration plan for the United States. This new plan has been hailed as the most comprehensive immigration reform in a decade, easing the minds of over 4.7 million undocumented immigrants in the country.

What does the President’s immigration plan mean for me?

There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living within the United States, with 4.4 million of those parents of citizens and permanent residents. Many of these people live in fear of the Secure Communities program, which resulted many undocumented immigrants getting arrested and thrown in jail for minor traffic violations and detained by local police for not having the proper papers.

Under Obama’s new plan the following will change:

• Parents of legal residents can temporarily remain in the country without worrying about deportation; and
• Additional individuals will be eligible for a previous law preventing deportation of children illegally brought into the United States by their parents.

This plan will allow those that qualify to apply for jobs and pay taxes, but does prevent them from accessing insurance under the healthcare law. They will to undergo a background check and be issued a Social Security card, so long as they don’t have any serious criminal charges on their record.

Criminal Records & Citizenship

The governments focus will shift towards keeping those with criminal records and that pose a threat to national security from entering the country. Security on the border will be increased to help accomplish this goal.

Since deporting 11 million people living in the United States is unrealistic, this plan is sympathetic to those regularly struggling to get by in the country and living with the constant fear of deportation. For many, the plan provides relief, but does not guarantee citizenship.Those seeking American citizenship must follow the same standards asked of all seeking that privilege.

This plan is a great start for immigrant rights in the United States, but it does not cover all people that may be living as illegal immigrants. Anyone that is wondering about how this new legislation will affect them and their families is encouraged to contact Feiner & Lavy, P.C., Attorneys at Law for a free consultation.