Region Reacts to Obama's Immigration Announcement

Announcement met with cheers, criticism

President Barack Obama’s announcement that he is giving thousands of undocumented immigrants chances to stay in this country and work was met with cheers and criticism in the D.C. area Friday.

Illegal immigrants will be able to avoid deportation if they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED or served in the military. They also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed. It affects about 800,000 immigrants living in fear of deportation.

"They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one -- on paper,” Obama said.

Hundreds marched in front of the White House chanting victory, News4's Erika Gonzalez reported.

“They saved my life,” said Jorge Acuna, who’s studying to be a surgeon and now gets to stay in the country.

Greg Letiecq of Help Save Manassas argued that the U.S. has a real problem with unemployment, and adding 800,000 illegal immigrants to the workforce is insane.

"Does anyone think that Obama's rich, white, liberal friends are the ones that will be displaced in the labor market?” he asked.

The announcement led to happy tears from young immigration activists, watching the president's speech at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Many of them were featured in a Time magazine story about undocumented immigrants. They said the change in policy will change their lives.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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