President Obama’s announcement Friday that his administration
will stop deporting eligible undocumented people under the age
of 30 is certain to provide fodder for more election-season
debates over immigration. Politics aside, however, the new
policy will certainly make waves in early learning centers,
schools and social services agencies, where children and young
parents affected by the new policy are likely to interact with
schools and government programs in new ways. Under the new
policy, undocumented residents under 30 will be allowed to
reside in the United States if they meet a set of criteria, such
as having arrived in the United States before the age of 16 or
having either a high school diploma, GED or serving in the
military. The policy does not provide a path to citizenship,
like many Democrat versions of the DREAM Act have in the past.
Below, three of our biggest questions on what’s to come: 1) Will
parents with children in states with strict immigration laws
actually feel more protected? Will thos