by Emily Luxen
NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Children of undocumented workers in Tennessee are lining up to take advantage of the benefits of a new U.S. immigration policy.
An executive order by President Barack Obama allows those who entered the country illegally as children to remain and work without fear of deportation for at least two years. For Lipscomb nursing student, Danaly Chavarria, it is a dream come true.
"With this, I don't have to be frightful of what's ahead," said Chavarria, "I can have peace in my heart that I can accomplish my dreams."
Chavarria meets the necessary requirements for the program. Participants must be younger than 30, and have arrived in the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, be successful students or served in the military, and prove they have been living in the country continuously for at least five years.
Critics like U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said the program will not solve immigration problems, and she doesn't agree with President Obama's approach.
"This is another of those areas where his choice was to circumvent Congress," said Rep. Blackburn, " it has been the way this administration has operated."
Critics also claim the President's executive order does what the proposed DREAM Act would have done--- but it failed to win enough Republican support to gain congressional approval.
Qualified applicants are still anxiously filling out the paperwork that requires them to show proof of identity and eligibility and pay a $465 application fee.
"It is an indescribable joy" said Chavarria, "there are so many people who have potential to give back to this country. This comes at the right time."
As many as 1.7 million youths may qualify for the program, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Latinos make up the fastest-growing immigrant population in the country.
