Washington (AFP) – Pledging to fix America’s “broken” immigration system, President Barack Obama offered five million undocumented migrants protection from deportation Thursday, allowing families to emerge from the shadows and seek work permits.

In a move that infuriated his Republican critics, Obama said nearly all undocumented people living in country for more than five years and who have a child who is a US citizen or legal permanent resident can apply for three-year work authorization.

The president also broadened the program he launched in 2012 that provides temporary residency to young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States before the age of 16.

“There are actions I have the legal authority to take as president – the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me – that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just,” Obama said in a 15-minute speech broadcast from the White House.

The order will affect about 44 percent of the 11.3 million people — mostly from Mexico and Central America — living in the United States illegally.

But he quickly stressed that the sweeping order, the most comprehensive immigration step in years, “does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive.

“Only Congress can do that,” he added. “All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.”

Obama’s executive order shifts US policy from a dragnet approach to all illegal immigrants to a focus on deporting convicted felons and those who pose a danger to society.

People living and working illegally in the country and who meet the criteria can apply for deferred deportation from next spring, the White House said.

- Mass deportation ‘impossible’ -

For much of this year Republicans have warned that unilateral action on immigration would be an illegal and unconstitutional amnesty of millions of undocumented people.

But Obama shot back, saying he was taking needed action while congressional Republicans dithered.

“Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character,” Obama said.

The president invoked the centuries-old history of America as a compassionate nation of immigrants, described his plan as “commonsense” accountability.

But in his words lay a warning, and a message to lawmakers that he would stand tough on immigration law.

“If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the US illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up,” he said.

Since 1986, when then-Republican president Ronald Reagan granted a sweeping amnesty, all attempts at major reform of the country’s immigration system have failed.

Faced with congressional stalemate, Obama — who made immigration a top priority on taking office in 2009 — has decided, with two years left in the White House, to take the matter into his own hands.

Under the new rules, those applying for deferred action must have a clean criminal record, pass a background check, and pay taxes.

The plan expands the program allowing temporary residency cards for minors to include those of all ages, provided they arrived in country prior to January 1, 2010 and were 16 or younger when they entered.

And it also eases legal immigration rules for high-tech workers and students in “STEM” fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

- Storm brewing in Congress -

A new immigration law did pass the then-Democratically controlled Senate last year, but the Republican House of Representatives blocked it and failed to agree on its own alternative proposal.

Republicans, who will control both House and Senate in January after a huge win in this month’s midterm elections, say Obama is going too far.

Incoming Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Thursday that the new Congress will exact political retribution.

“If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act,” he said.

The US border state of Texas wasted no time in announcing a suit.

Its attorney general Greg Abbott, the incoming governor, said: “I am prepared to immediately challenge President Obama in court, securing our state’s sovereignty and guaranteeing the rule of law.”

The political firestorm unleashed by Obama does not bode well for relations between Congress and the White House in coming months.

Republicans cannot halt a presidential decree, but they can make Obama’s last two years extremely difficult — by blocking his choices for ambassadorial and administration posts, as well as judgeships.

But with the 2016 presidential election on the horizon, the debate within the Republican Party on immigration will be lively, as it can ill afford to offend Hispanic voters, 70 percent of whom voted for Obama in 2012.

• Immigration Issues
• Politics & Government
• Barack Obama
• White House

President Barack Obama announced his immigration reform plans to the country on Thursday. This plan, which will be enacted by executive action, “will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable, and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules,” the White House said in a press release. Obama announced the actions on immigration in an address from the White House. He is expected to sign the actions at a rally in Las Vegas on Friday. “Our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it,” he said, later adding that his critics call the plan a form of amnesty. “Well, it’s not.” Obama 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.” Obama emphasized in his address that he is instead pushing for the accountability of undocumented immigrants. “That’s the real amnesty-leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability-a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law,” the president said. “If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.” Tweet. The three main elements of the actions will be cracking down on illegal immigration at the border; deporting felons, but not families; and establishing criminal background checks and taxes for undocumented immigrants. “By registering and passing criminal and national security background checks, millions of undocumented immigrants will start paying their fair share of taxes and temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation for three years at a time,” the White House release said. If undocumented immigrants submit to these background checks, register with the government, pay fees and show they have a child born in the U.S., then they “will have the opportunity to request temporary relief from deportation and work authorization for three years at a time.” Read More Obama being divisive: GOP Sen.

These reforms will actually make it more difficult to enter the country without documentation, Obama said, but some did not agree. Texas Governor Rick Perry said in a statement that Obama’s “decision tonight will lead to more illegal immigration, not less.” Obama addressed critics of the plan, explaining that “tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you.” “By providing individuals with an opportunity to come out of the shadows and work legally, we will also help crack down on companies who hired undocumented workers, which undermines the wages of all workers, and ensure that individuals are playing by the rules and paying their fair share of taxes,” the release said. The president’s executive actions will also expand the existing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The rule currently offers temporary relief from deportation to children who had been in the country for at least five years and meet certain criteria. Now, anyone who came to the U.S. as a child can apply if they entered before Jan. 1, 2010-no matter how old they are now. The White House also said that DACA relief will be granted for three years in the country going forward.

White House tweet. Obama’s reforms will also cover a wide swath of issues related to immigration such as shifting more resources to the border, streamlining the immigration court process, and implementing a new Priority Enforcement Program that removes criminals. Additionally, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson will issue a memorandum making “clear that the government’s enforcement activity should be focused on national security threats, serious criminals, and recent border crossers,” as opposed to families. Still, some politicians said that Obama’s plan is not dealing sufficiently with undocumented entry into the country. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said in a statement that “the right way to do it is to first bring illegal immigration under control by securing the borders and enforcing the laws, then modernizing our legal immigration system.” In his address, Obama cited scripture’s call “that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger.” Read More Immigration puts Obama at political risk: NBC-WSJ poll While the reforms are sure to be praised by those attending the Friday rally in Las Vegas, many across the country are less favorable of a unilateral decision on the matter. A new NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll found that just 38 percent of Americans support executive action by the president on immigration without Congressional approval. “We’ve always believed it should be done by Congressional action-it’s more of a consensus way to do it,” said Russell Boening, a dairy farmer based south of San Antonio who has lobbied Washington for immigration reform for years as the state director for the Texas Farm Bureau. “That’s the right way to do it.” Despite the absence of any apparent forthcoming congressional agreement on immigration, Boening insisted that this path is the only way to achieve lasting comprehensive reform-his industry group is seeking a better guest worker program to help legally fill its labor shortages. “It’s been very frustrating to see nothing get done,” he said. “But we still live in the greatest country in the world, and I don’t lose hope: I get disappointed along the way, but somewhere along the lines common sense will prevail.” Read More Obama to make GOP rift much worse: Senator Thune South Dakota Sen. John Thune told CNBC on Thursday morning that executive action would be a “big mistake,” as it would anger the GOP. Some, however, are opposed to executive action on immigration because they see it as overstepping Obama’s executive authority. In fact, Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn told USA Today that “the country’s going to go nuts” in response to Thursday’s announcement. “The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican President and every Democratic President for the past half century,” Obama said. “And to those Members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.” House Speaker John Boehner said the president is acting like an emperor or a king in a YouTube video ahead of the speech. Even the some in Obama’s own party are taking issue with the executive actions.

Read More GOP senator warns of violence after immigration order Saying he disagrees with the president’s decision, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said “the American people made it clear on election night that they want government to work better for them and to solve real problems that impact their lives.” Obama said Thursday that he had tried to work with Congress, and blamed the House of Representatives for a bipartisan Senate bill never seeing a yes-no vote. Still, the president said, he still hopes to eventually “pass that kind of common sense law.” Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed by the NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll said they favored the government creating a way for people in the U.S. illegally to eventually become citizens. The president’s actions will also cover several other facets of immigration and naturalization, including “enhancing options for foreign entrepreneurs” and “streamlining the process for foreign workers and their employers.”

• Immigration Issues
• Politics & Government
• Barack Obama
• White House
• illegal immigration

Text of President Barack Obama’s immigration address Thursday night, as provided by the White House:

___

My fellow Americans, tonight, I’d like to talk with you about immigration.

For more than 200 years, our tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world has given us a tremendous advantage over other nations. It’s kept us youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial. It has shaped our character as a people with limitless possibilities – people not trapped by our past, but able to remake ourselves as we choose.

But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it.

Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their workers good wages and benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.

It’s been this way for decades. And for decades, we haven’t done much about it.

When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. Today, we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years, illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half. Although this summer, there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is now actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years. Overall, the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts.

Meanwhile, I worked with Congress on a comprehensive fix, and last year, 68 Democrats, Republicans and independents came together to pass a bipartisan bill in the Senate. It wasn’t perfect. It was a compromise, but it reflected common sense. It would have doubled the number of border patrol agents, while giving undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they paid a fine, started paying their taxes, and went to the back of the line. And independent experts said that it would help grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Had the House of Representatives allowed that kind of a bill a simple yes-or-no vote, it would have passed with support from both parties, and today it would be the law. But for a year and a half now, Republican leaders in the House have refused to allow that simple vote.

Now, I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as president – the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me – that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.

Tonight, I am announcing those actions.

First, we’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over.

Second, I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.

Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.

I want to say more about this third issue, because it generates the most passion and controversy. Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable – especially those who may be dangerous. That’s why, over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80 percent. And that’s why we’re going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who’s working hard to provide for her kids. We’ll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day.

But even as we focus on deporting criminals, the fact is, millions of immigrants – in every state, of every race and nationality – will still live here illegally. And let’s be honest – tracking down, rounding up, and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. After all, most of these immigrants have been here a long time. They work hard, often in tough, low-paying jobs. They support their families. They worship at our churches. Many of their kids are American-born or spent most of their lives here, and their hopes, dreams, and patriotism are just like ours.

As my predecessor, President Bush, once put it: “They are a part of American life.”

Now here’s the thing: we expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect that those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve been in America for more than five years; if you have children who are American citizens or legal residents; if you register, pass a criminal background check, and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes – you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily, without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law.

That’s what this deal is. Now let’s be clear about what it isn’t. This deal does not apply to anyone who has come to this country recently. It does not apply to anyone who might come to America illegally in the future. It does not grant citizenship, or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive – only Congress can do that. All we’re saying is we’re not going to deport you.

I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it’s not. 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.

That’s the real amnesty – leaving this broken system the way it is. Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character. What I’m describing is accountability – a commonsense, middle ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you’re a criminal, you’ll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up.

The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every single Democratic president for the past half century. And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary. Meanwhile, don’t let a disagreement over a single issue be a deal-breaker on every issue. That’s not how our democracy works, and Congress certainly shouldn’t shut down our government again just because we disagree on this. Americans are tired of gridlock. What our country needs from us right now is a common purpose – a higher purpose.

Most Americans support the types of reforms I’ve talked about tonight. But I understand the disagreements held by many of you at home. Millions of us, myself included, go back generations in this country, with ancestors who put in the painstaking work to become citizens. So we don’t like the notion that anyone might get a free pass to American citizenship. I know that some worry immigration will change the very fabric of who we are, or take our jobs, or stick it to middle-class families at a time when they already feel like they’ve gotten the raw end of the deal for over a decade. I hear these concerns. But that’s not what these steps would do. Our history and the facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society. And I believe it’s important that all of us have this debate without impugning each other’s character.

Because for all the back-and-forth of Washington, we have to remember that this debate is about something bigger. It’s about who we are as a country, and who we want to be for future generations.

Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law? Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility, and give their kids a better future?

Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms? Or are we a nation that values families, and works to keep them together?

Are we a nation that educates the world’s best and brightest in our universities, only to send them home to create businesses in countries that compete against us? Or are we a nation that encourages them to stay and create jobs, businesses, and industries right here in America?

That’s what this debate is all about. We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration; we need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears.

I know the politics of this issue are tough. But let me tell you why I have come to feel so strongly about it. Over the past few years, I have seen the determination of immigrant fathers who worked two or three jobs, without taking a dime from the government, and at risk at any moment of losing it all, just to build a better life for their kids. I’ve seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers. I’ve seen the courage of students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as Malia or Sasha; students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in a country they love. These people – our neighbors, our classmates, our friends – they did not come here in search of a free ride or an easy life. They came to work, and study, and serve in our military, and above all, contribute to America’s success.

Tomorrow, I’ll travel to Las Vegas and meet with some of these students, including a young woman named Astrid Silva. Astrid was brought to America when she was 4 years old. Her only possessions were a cross, her doll and the frilly dress she had on. When she started school, she didn’t speak any English. She caught up to the other kids by reading newspapers and watching PBS, and became a good student. Her father worked in landscaping. Her mother cleaned other people’s homes. They wouldn’t let Astrid apply to a technology magnet school for fear the paperwork would out her as an undocumented immigrant – so she applied behind their back and got in. Still, she mostly lived in the shadows – until her grandmother, who visited every year from Mexico, passed away, and she couldn’t travel to the funeral without risk of being found out and deported. It was around that time she decided to begin advocating for herself and others like her, and today, Astrid Silva is a college student working on her third degree.

Are we a nation that kicks out a striving, hopeful immigrant like Astrid – or are we a nation that finds a way to welcome her in?

Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger – we were strangers once, too.

My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal – that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.

That’s the country our parents and grandparents and generations before them built for us. That’s the tradition we must uphold. That’s the legacy we must leave for those who are yet to come.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.

• Immigration Issues
• Politics & Government
• President Barack Obama
• immigration

Public opinion on President Obama’s soon-to-be-announced move to shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation is sharply divided – and internally contradictory.

Almost half of Americans – 48 percent – oppose the president’s plan, while 38 percent support it, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

But at the same time, 57 percent of Americans favor a pathway to citizenship for people in the United States illegally – a key sticking point that immigration hard-liners call “amnesty,” the poll finds. And that number increases to 74 percent when those surveyed are told that to get on the “pathway” one must pay fines and back taxes, and pass a security background check.

Recommended: Could you pass a US citizenship test?

What the poll shows is that Obama’s biggest problem, beyond the legal argument, is process, NBC News’ “First Read” observes. By a margin of 63 percent to 30 percent, Americans want compromise over sticking to positions on the immigration issue, the poll finds.

“Americans prefer elected leaders coming together to get something done,” says “First Read.”

Obama is likely to pay a political price for giving up on Congress, analysts say. At the same time, if he were to delay executive action further, he would infuriate the immigration activists to whom he has long promised action. At first, he pledged an announcement at the end of the summer, then delayed it until after the Nov. 4 midterms so as not to harm endangered Democrats (many of whom lost anyway).

In fact, perhaps Obama should have made his move before the election to spur Latino turnout in key races, some activists suggest. Overall, Latino turnout this year remained flat at 8 percent of the nation’s voters, same as in the last two midterms (2010 and 2006), while the number of Hispanic eligible voters is more than 25 million today, up from 17.3 million in 2006, according to the Pew Research Center.

Democratic House candidates won 62 percent of the Latino vote this year. That’s similar to the 2010 midterm, but down from 2012, when Latinos voted for Democrats over Republicans for the House by a margin of 68 percent to 30 percent.  

In the gubernatorial races in Georgia and Texas, the Republican candidates won more than 40 percent of the Latino vote, Pew notes.

In Nevada, where Obama will deliver a speech Friday promoting his immigration plan, Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) scored notable gains with Latino voters in his reelection bid. He won 47 percent – a threefold increase over his share of the vote in 2010.

“To be sure, Sandoval’s stronger 2014 performance reflects the lack of a serious Democratic challenger, as well as his support for a number of Latino policy priorities including Medicaid expansion, funding for English Language Learners, and support for driver’s privilege cards,” writes David Damore, a senior analyst for Latino Decisions polling firm.

“Perhaps no Democrat though owes his political survival to the Latino community more than Harry Reid,” Mr. Damore adds. “In 2010 it was strong Latino turnout and these voters’ overwhelming support for Reid allowed Reid to escape that year’s Republican wave and continue serving as Senate majority leader.”

Senator Reid is up for reelection in 2016. 

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• What can Congress do to stop Obama’s immigration plan? Not much.
• Why is Obama pushing immigration changes in Las Vegas? (+video)

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• Politics & Government
• Immigration Issues

President Obama will announce a major executive action on immigration reform in prime time on Thursday, the White House said today.

“Our immigration system has been broken for decades — and every minute we fail to act, millions of people who live in the shadows but want to play by the rules and pay taxes have no way to live right by the law and contribute to our country, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest wrote on the White House website.

Flip Flop? White House Concedes Obama Shift on Immigration Action

What We Know — And Don’t Know — About Obama’s Imminent Immigration Action

President Obama Defends Executive Authority on Immigration

“So tomorrow night, President Obama will address the nation to lay out the executive actions he’s taking to fix our broken immigration system.”

The president will then travel to Del Sol High School Las Vegas on Friday “to discuss why he is using his executive authority now, and why Republicans in Congress must act to pass a long-term solution to immigration reform,” according to Earnest.

President Obama has invited senior lawmakers to the White House tonight for dinner to explain his immigration decision. Earnest confirmed Obama will dine tonight with a group of 18 top Democrats from the House and Senate.

The most controversial aspect of Obama’s planned action is likely to be an order to, on a temporary basis, exempt from deportation and grant work permits to as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is being dispatched to Capitol Hill on Thursday for lunch with Senate Democrats, a move that presaged the announcement.

On Wednesday, Democrats took to the Senate floor to defend President Obama’s forthcoming executive action, saying the House could have avoided it by passing immigration reform themselves.

“I’m glad he’s going to in the next couple of days for sure to use his constitutionally established authority to fix our broken immigration system as much as possible,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., added: “The dithering and dawdling on the House side is particularly perplexing because our bill would achieve so many goals that republicans claim are part of their agenda.”

ABC’s Devin Dwyer and Arlette Saenz contributed reporting.

• Immigration Issues
• Politics & Government
• White House
• President Obama
• immigration reform