President Barack Obama announced last week that his administration will stop deporting illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and who pose no security threat.
According to CNN, under the new policy people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation.
These youths will also have to prove they have been in the country for at least five years, the news network said.
Obama said his executive order would make immigration policy “more fair, more efficient and more just,” according to CNN.
"This is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It's not a permanent fix," the president said.
The issue has sparked debate among news organizations, political pundits and ordinary citizens, as to whether this is a good move now.
On a local level, Connecticut saw a similar situation like this back in 2004, when a Norwich Free Academy graduate, Majan Jean, was facing deportation because she came to the U.S. illegally when she was 12, according to the Hartford Courant. She avoided being sent to her native Haiti because of legislation that was pending at the time in Congress.
We want to know what you think.
Do you think illegal immigrants, brought here as children and now under the age of 16, should face deportation? Regardless of their social standing in society? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.
It is no simple process. And in my opinion, children who end up here due to factors they have no control over, deserve a chance to pursue the right avenues to become citizens.
I'll add that the process wasn't easy for earlier generations of newcomers to this country. However, it was easier. People forget, or do not know that fact.
You have, at your fingertips, a computer with internet access. I implore you and everyone to try to understand the plight of others. There is lots of information out there.