COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Very soon, at least 1 million illegal immigrants in the United State won't have to worry about being deported. That's after President Obama announced a plan to allow certain illegal immigrants to stay in the US on work permits.
The new policy will affect thousands of illegal immigrants here in South Carolina.
"These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they're friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag," said Obama. "They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one -- on paper."
The new rules would allow any illegal immigrant the chance to apply for 2-year work permit if they are between 16 and 30 years old with no criminal record and have a high school diploma.
"Let's be clear: this is not amnesty, this is not immunity, this is not a path to citizenship," Obama said.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform says Obama's plan goes directly against federal immigration law.
"It's fundamentally unfair to those who have come here legally," group representative Bob Dean said. "It simply rewards the illegal behavior and it encourages the future flows of illegal aliens."
Federal figures show 95,000 Mexican citizens followed immigration rules and earned citizenship without illegally crossing the border.
Lexington Attorney Jack Duncan represents dozens of Hispanics as one of the few Spanish-speaking attorneys in the state.
"It is strictly an individual situation for someone who has been a productive member of society so far and we think can add to our society," Duncan said.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, it is unclear where Gov. Nikki Haley stands on the latest Obama policy shift. The governor, however, did sign a new immigration bill into law late last year.
"Where we are trying to say that illegal immigration will not be allowed in South Carolina," Haley said. "And we're going to fight to make sure everyone in the state is legal."
Many illegal immigrant children, according to Duncan, often do well in South Carolina schools, but don't go onto college because they're undocumented.
"They want to obey the law," Duncan said. "They want to follow all the laws and generally I find them more law-abiding and more law-conscious than my natural-born clients here in Lexington."
The work permits last two years, but have limitless renewals. The Obama administration plans to finalize their immigration work permit plans in the next couple of months.
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