MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
The new federal immigration policy known as "Deferred Action" is at odds with Alabama's strict immigration law that is currently tied in the 11th Circuit of Appeals.
The policy, announced by President Barack Obama in June, exempts more than one million illegal immigrants between the ages of 31 and 16 across the country. According to the Immigration Policy Center there are approximately 6,000 eligible in Alabama and half of them are immediately eligible for Deferred Action.
In a statement, the Director of Alabama's Department of Homeland Security said, "This will create a bureaucratic hurdle for Alabama law enforcement and businesses."
The new guidelines for young illegal immigrants also allow them to apply for federal work permits.
Alabama's anti-illegal immigration law that the state legislature passed during the 2011 Regular Session barred illegal immigrants from even applying for jobs.
When asked about the new federal policy Wednesday, Gov. Robert Bentley said, "Whatever the federal law is, we'll make sure it's carried out."
Deferred Action is strictly to delay deportation in certain cases and to make people eligible for work permits.
"This isn't amnesty. This doesn't provide any path to legal status" says Stephen NeSmith, an immigration attorney in Montgomery. "It doesn't grant them a lawful status. It just allows them to gain work authorization."
Additionally, illegal immigrants need to have lived in the country for at least five years to be eligible for Deferred Action. Any illegal immigrant who serviced with any of the branches of the United States Military is also eligible for the program under the new guidelines.
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