In the face of the inactivity of the Congress, Barack Obama offered, on Thursday evening, a temporary regularization to approximately five million immigrants, of a total of 11 millions living in the United States. Starting in the spring of 2015, every immigrant living illegally, for more than five years, and having an American child or a holder of a permanent resident status, can ask for a work permit of three years and travel freely.
"It is neither a guarantee of citizenship, nor a right to stay here in a permanently," however underlined the American president, during a short, solemn speech from the White House, promising a system that will "more equitable."
The American executive also announced, easier access to the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival). Launched in 2012, it offers residency to the minors who arrived on the American territory before the age of 16 years. About 600,000 people have already benefited from it to this day.
"If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and put yourselves in agreement with the law. If you are a criminal, you will be deported. If you intend to enter illegally in the United States, your chances to be caught and sent back have just increased” added the United States president.
Since the massive regularizations of immigrants in 1986, under Ronald Reagan, all the attempts at immigration reform have failed. At the beginning of 2013, after the writing of a bill to the Senate by tenors of both parties, a compromise seemed possible. But the prospect of an agreement by both houses of Congress soon disappeared and the discussions have since been at a standstill.