President Barack Obama could announce as soon as next week an overhaul of the immigration system that would protect up to 5 million people from deportation and provide work permits to many of them, said the New York Times, citing administration officials. “White House officials are also still debating whether to include protections for farm workers who have entered the country illegally but have been employed for years in the agriculture industry, a move that could affect hundreds of thousands of people,” said the Times.
Obama said during a news conference in Asia that he will act before the end of the year, said CNN. It said a senior White House official said executive action could come as early as next week. Another White House official said three elements are expected in the executive order, said CNN, which described them as “direct immigration agents to allow parents of children who are American citizens to obtain documents that allows them to stay in the United States legally, protect illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and make clear deportation should still be the policy for convicted criminals.”