The Obama administration announced today that it will halt the deportations and begin granting work permits for some undocumented students eligible for the DREAM Act.
In a press conference announcing the policy change, the president explained his reasons for issuing the Executive Order—which is a dream come true for many young Latinos and their families.
"They pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper," Obama said.
The policy change will apply to young undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children, along the same lines as the Dream Act, a decade-old bill that passed in the House of Representatives but failed in the Senate in 2010. It will also enable Dream Act-eligible young people, often called DREAMers, to stay in the United States without fear of deportation, and without legislation from a Congress that is unlikely to pass a bill.
"I've said time and time and time again to Congress, send me the Dream Act, put it on my desk, and I will sign it right away," Obama said. "Both parties wrote this legislation."
Shortly after Obama's Executive Order this morning, several Latino celebs sent The Huffington Post emails about the President's announcement.
FROM EVA LONGORIA TO PEREZ HILTON, HERE ARE SEVEN LATINO CELEBS REACTING TO THE NEWS!