By Emily Koehne
OPINIONS EDITOR

On November 20th, President Obama called out to immigrants in the United States in a nationally televised speech.

He announced that there will be opportunity for people who are not citizens of America to live here for two years, as long as they pass criminal background checks and pay taxes. This plan is going to affect about 4.4 million people who are currently afraid of deportation.

In his speech Obama stated, “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.”

This plan will not offer citizenship or federal benefits and health care programs to these people. A major point of the plan will be to focus more on uncovering dangerous undocumented immigrants rather than immigrants who are abiding by the law.

“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,” Obama said.

On another hand, Obama also made a point to criticize Congress. “To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better… I have one answer: Pass a bill,” Obama said.

President Barack Obama delivering his immigration speech on live television.
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