TheCable

Nigerians who have lived illegally in the US for the past five years could be among an estimated 4.7 million illegal immigrants to be granted legal residency.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama issued the executive order which will, however, not cover all 11 million “undocumented immigrants” in the country.

About 4.4 million illegal immigrants who are parents of US citizens/legal permanent residents will remain in the country “temporarily” and will not be deported.

Over 6.2 million will not be eligible to apply for residency at all.

This is considered the most sweeping immigration reform in a generation, although the Republican-controlled house of representatives are kicking against it, accusing Obama of acting beyond his constitutional powers.

Citizens of Mexico, which shares border with the US, make up nearly 60% of the illegal immigrants in the country, according to a 2012 estimate by Department of Homeland Security.

Thousands of Nigerians are known to overstay their visas and end up taking up menial jobs that are not officially documented for tax purposes.

In a White House speech, Obama rejected Republican arguments that his decision to bypass Congress and take executive action was tantamount to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

“Amnesty is the immigration system we have today, millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules,” he said.

The undocumented residents can now apply legally for jobs but will not be able to vote or qualify for insurance under the president’s healthcare law.

This applies to those who have been in the US for at last five years.

An additional 270,000 people would be eligible for relief under the expansion of a 2012 move by Obama to stop deporting people brought illegally to the US as children by their parents.

The president, speaking two weeks after Democrats were trounced in midterm elections, appeared confident and determined at the White House podium.

Outside, pro-migrant demonstrators watched his speech on their smartphones and chanted support for him, according to a Reuters report.

“Si se puede (Yes we can),” they shouted and sang the American national anthem.

Obama urged Republicans not to take steps against his plan that could lead to a government shutdown, raising the spectre of a crisis that some conservatives would like to push but Republican leaders of Congress want to avoid.

Republicans were blamed for a shutdown over spending a year ago and are seeking ways to deny funding for his immigration steps without provoking a year-end budget crisis.

“Congress certainly shouldn’t shut down our government again just because we disagree on this,” Obama said.

Obama’s moves have ramifications for the campaign to succeed him in 2016 by possibly solidifying Hispanic support behind Democrats. Republican candidates may tread carefully around the issue to avoid a Latino backlash. But polls show many Americans would prefer Obama not act alone.

Obama said trying to deport all 11 million people living in the country illegally was not realistic.

His voice took on an empathetic tone as he described the struggle of illegal immigrants to avoid getting deported.

“I’ve seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers,” he said.

But Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, warned: “We will see a wave of illegal immigration because of the president’s actions, and in no way is the Department of Homeland Security prepared to handle such a surge.”

He pledged to “use every tool at my disposal to stop the president’s unconstitutional actions from being implemented”.