Experience from President Barack Obama's June 15, 2012, executive order, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Dreamers program, provides lessons about what to expect from his Nov. 20 order giving up to 5 million illegal immigrant parents of U.S. citizens temporary relief from deportation and the right to work,
The Washington Post reported.
Proponents of both actions say that on the bright side, the 2012 order authorized 700,000 individuals, known as Dreamers, who entered the United States illegally as children to remain, and apply for work permits and Social Security numbers.
They say the program has enabled 60 percent of participants to find new employment and 57 percent to get an automobile license, the Post reported.
On the downside, say proponents, many of those eligible have not registered because of the
$465 application fee, fear of the government, or lack of knowledge of the order.
Processing times can run six months or more and applicants must renew every two years, which creates a backlog.
The latest order could also overwhelm the Citizenship and Immigration Services branch of the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with its implementation.
The Dreamers program does not grant immigrants legal status or provide a pathway to citizenship — it temporarily lifts the threat of deportation. Its educational requirements, a high school diploma or its equivalent, have also kept some from applying, the Post reported.
Since Congress has not approved the changes, a future president could reverse them, leaving all those who registered with the government knowing their identities, the Post reported.
The Dreamers program was a "trial run," that "overall" has "gone pretty well," according to David Martin, a University of Virginia law professor and former Homeland Security official.
"But if we're talking 4 million people with this new program, that's going to be an even bigger challenge to gear up to handle it," Martin told the Post.
Pro-immigration activists have been canvassing for hundreds of thousands of Dreamer-eligible young people who still have not applied.
While 75 percent of Dreamer-entitled applicants are of Mexican heritage, illegals from South Korea, India and Poland are also in the pool. Some of them are unaware they qualify because information about the order has only recently been translated into their languages.
There are believed to be about 11 million people living illegally in the country. Some 400,000 were deported in 2013.
The executive orders do not confer benefits under the Affordable Care Act,
The New York Times reported.
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