About 5 million undocumented immigrants are expected to qualify, according to the White House.
The new actions involve sending people crossing into the United States border back, expanding immigration options for criminal victims and deporting undocumented immigrants.
These undocumeneted immigrants would be deported with felony convictions and criminals whose crimes are viewed as a threat to future security.
Angela Adams, Indiana Chapter Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that deferred action is not an ultimate route to citizenship.
“Deferred action is not a path to citizenship or permanent residency, but it does provide temporary work authorization,” Adams said in an email.
President Obama’s orders are also designed to help immigrants create businesses and receive jobs to help maintain visas and work permits, in addition to receiving educational opportunities for foreign students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematical subjects in American universities across the United States.
“Bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and providing some relief from possible deportation would not only have a positive impact on our economy, but also make our communities and roads safer,” Adams said in the email.
Many of these new orders will be instated by strengthening federal executive departments and creating new programs, including the Priority Enforcement Program, which will serve to identify criminal undocumented immigrants.
Those who have been here for at least five years will be able to apply to live in the U.S. without fear of deportation, Obama said in his address.
In 2011, an estimated 110,000 undocumented immigrants were living in Indiana, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
And in 2013, more than 7,000 people applied to be permanent residents of Indiana, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Gov. Mike Pence issued a statement following the president's address, accusing the president of bypassing the "democratic process."
"While reasonable people can differ on ways to improve our nation’s broken immigration system, the President's unilateral action is an unacceptable end run around the democratic process and must be reversed," Pence said in the statement. "The proper place to debate immigration policy is through the legislative process defined in our Constitution. The State of Indiana will carefully evaluate the details of the Executive Order and take any available legal actions necessary to restore the rule of law and proper balance to our constitutional system of government.”
Across the nation, 990,553 people applied to become citizens in the United States in 2013, a drop from more than one million people applying each year between 2005 and 2011.
President Obama is also expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by allowing any child entering the U.S. before 2010 to apply for relief.
This order comes after the midterm election earlier this month that gave the Republicans the majority in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
“Our history and our facts show that immigrants are a net plus for our economy and our society,” Obama said in an address on Tuesday.
