The offer over what conservatives call a version of amnesty to illegals who have been driving without a license is a hot-button issue, partly because unlicensed illegals have been involved in deadly wrecks in Virginia, Massachusetts, Minnesota and other states.
President Barack Obama announces that his administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives, Friday, June 15, 2012, during a statement in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington.
The White House immigration policy would not prevent illegal aliens who have committed identity theft or have been driving cars without licenses from obtaining work permits, an administration official told reporters during a press conference on Friday.
It will also be extended to some illegals already in jail and to some who have already been approved for deportation by judges, he said.
The work permits — and the complementary access to welfare programs — will also be granted to individuals “with a significant disability … or [who are] far, far below the national poverty level,” the official said.
The two-year permits can be extended once they expire, the official added.
The official did not place a limit on the number of work permits that will be granted to illegals, despite the nation’s record level of 23 million unemployed, underemployed or disheartened workers.
“We want to maximize participation,” said the official.
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