An estimated 140,000 immigrants living illegally in Georgia could be eligible for relief under a controversial plan President Barack Obama announced last month to shield millions of people from deportation, a new report shows.
The Pew Research Center report — based on Census data — says that number represents more than a third of the estimated 400,000 immigrants who were living without legal status in Georgia in 2012.
Georgia ranks sixth among states for its share of people who could benefit from Obama’s actions, the Pew report says. California ranks first at 950,000 followed by Texas, 675,000; Florida, 210,000; Illinois, 200,000; and New York, 200,000.
The president’s plan has drawn a mixture of praise and scorn from Georgia and across the nation. Republican critics in Congress are vowing to reverse the president’s actions, calling them illegal. In contrast, immigrant rights activists say Obama is acting legally to keep families together in the U.S.
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