Possible Negative Repercussions for Older Immigrants Through Obama’s Reprieve
Mon, Jul 2 4:35 PM
A young woman who has been working as a housekeeper in Lynn, Massachusetts, felt a sense of relief once she heard about President Obama's recent reprieve for undocumented immigrants under the age of 30, according to The Boston Globe. However, just a few days after, the woman, only identified as Raquel, was shocked when she realized her age prevented her from being eligible for the new policy.
In order to be eligible for the measure to apply for a work permit, immigrants must be under the age of 30, graduates of high school or college and have a clean criminal record. Raquel fit all of the qualifications except for one - she turned 31 at the end of April – and so is excluded from being considered.
“It gets me angry, because why didn’t [President Obama] do this since the beginning [of his term]?” she said. “I know that [Obama] is helping … but unfortunately, he has moved his game pieces too late for some of us.”
There have been a number of people speaking out against the measure since President Obama's announcement on June 15. According to The Hill, some immigration advocates are concerned about how the new action will affect the parents of undocumented youth, most of which are undocumented themselves.