Young illegal immigrants apply to stay in the U.S.

The Obama administration kicks off one of the most sweeping changes in immigration policy in decades Wednesday, allowing an estimated 1.7 million young undocumented immigrants to apply for the temporary right to live and work openly in the United States without fear of deportation.

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Aug. 15, 2012

Scores of people line up early at the Casa de Maryland offices in Langley Park, hoping to get in an application for deferred deportation status.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 15, 2012

Dennis Torrico, 17, waits in line outside the Casa de Maryland offices. He came to the United States from Argentina with his parents when he was 5 and now goes to Falls Church High School. "I'm keeping my hopes up (regarding gaining citizenship), but I'm afraid to think too far ahead," Torrico said.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 15, 2012

People hoping to get deferred deportation status line up at the Casa de Maryland offices. The program, hewing closely to the goals of the long-debated Dream Act, targets those who were brought here as children. It is open to immigrants ages 15 to 31 who arrived before they were 16 and have lived here continuously for the past five years or more.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 15, 2012

Herbert Marquez, 26, and his wife, Mirna Villalta, 24, wait in line outside the Casa de Maryland offices. Marquez came to the United States from Guatemala when he was 16. Villalta, an El Salvadoran, came to the United States when she was 15.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 15, 2012

Maria Reyes, 17, holds her mother, Leslie Castillo. Reyes came to the United States with her family when she was 5. They are originally from Guatemala.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 15, 2012

While parents and siblings wait in line outside the Casa de Maryland offices, a group of kids play around on an electrical box. Most had been waiting for several hours.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Aug. 14, 2012

Hundreds of immigrants wait outside the Mexican Consulate in Houston. Illegal immigrants are scrambling to get passports and other records that are needed to get temporary legal residency and work permits.

Nick de la Torre / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

In addition to country of origin, immigrants must have school records, utility bills and other documents that show they have lived here continuously for at least the past five years. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided a list of other documents it will accept as proof of continuous residency, including tax receipts, bank records and church confirmation and other religious records.

Nick de la Torre / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

Hayley Arana, 2, stands with her mother, Cynthia Diaz, and hundreds of others outside the Mexican Consulate in Houston. Although her daughter was born in the United States and cannot be deported, Diaz must get temporary residency to remain in the country legally.

Nick de la Torre / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

Claudia Hernandez, front, talks about Mexican Consulate personnel being rude to the people in line and the trouble of waiting without a system. Hernandez says she got into line at 8:30 a.m. but was forced back by people cutting in line. Hernandez, who has been in the U.S. for 20 years and has children who were born in here, says she will spend the night to get a better place tomorrow.

Nick de la Torre / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

People fill out paperwork inside the Embassy of Honduras Consular Section in Washington. Among other restrictions, applicants to the program must be free of serious criminal convictions, be enrolled in or have completed high school, or have served in the U.S. military. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that those enrolled in GED programs and certain training programs will also qualify, broadening the program’s potential reach.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

Luis Martinez, 20, from Philadelphia, right, walks in the hallway inside the consulate section of the Embassy of Honduras in Washington. If accepted into the program, applicants must seek renewal of their protected status every two years.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Aug. 14, 2012

Mayra Rivera, center, with her children, Aixa Martinez, 18, left, and Aryam Rivera, right, from Philadelphia, wait inside the consulate section of the Embassy of Honduras in Washington. Opponents and supporters alike agree that the two-year protections are likely to be renewed indefinitely, as has been the case with Haitian refugees and others who have gotten such status. While future administrations may stop granting the protections, they are unlikely to move to deport those already enrolled.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

July 26, 2012

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), left, is arrested in front of the White House after performing an act of civil disobedience at a rally in support of the Dream Act in Washington. The bill, which would grant conditional permanent residency to immigrants who entered the country illegally but otherwise are in good standing, has been stuck in Congress since it was introduced in 2001, frustrating its supporters.

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

June 27, 2012

Karizma Valdez, 12, of Detroit demonstrates in support of the Dream Act in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Valdez was among 200 or so demonstrators who traveled from all over the nation to voice support for the act.

Daniel C. Britt / The Washington Post

June 25, 2012

A crowd of about 200 chant in support of the Dream Act at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington. Demonstrators traveled from all over the nation to voice support for the act, which protects undocumented immigrants without criminal records and under age 30, from deportation.

Daniel C. Britt / The Washington Post

June 15, 2012

Ricky Campos, 23, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador now living in Silver Spring demonstrates in front of the White House.

Daniel C. Britt / The Washington Post

June 15, 2012

Members of the group Casa de Maryland rally outside the White House in support of President Obama's announcement that the U.S. government will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

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