DHS Offers "Deferred Action" To DREAM Act-Eligible Immigrants

On June 15, 2012, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that, effective immediately, it will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to an estimated 800,000 immigrants who unlawfully entered or remained in the United States as children, and who have since led law-abiding lives, do not pose a security threat, and would otherwise be eligible for the so-called "DREAM" Act, which is currently stalled in Congress. 

To be eligible under the "deferred action" executive order, the individual must:

• Be 15-30 years old and have entered/been brought to the United States before reaching the age of 16;
• Have been present in the United States for five years as of June 15, 2012 (the date when this administrative action takes effect);