Obama's plan would overhaul immigration policies

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AUSTIN (KXAN) - President Obama is vowing to work around Congress and overhaul the country's immigration policies. He is promising big changes that would protect millions of people in the country illegally from being deported.

The president plans to issue an executive order as early as next week to make the changes without approval from Congress. The proposal would allow more immigrants to stay in the country legally, including parents of children who are American citizens.

The president's plan comes as a relief to 21-year-old Juan Belman. 'My parents right now, they're undocumented,' he said. 'They don't have any status at all.'

GOING IN-DEPTH // The President's Plan

He has spent every day of the last 12 years worrying about his family.

'I remember praying at night in my dorm while my friends were going out,' Belman said. 'I was worried if I'd be by myself the next day or if my father would be deported and my family sent back to Mexico.'

His parents came to the United States from Mexico illegally in search a better life, a life Belman knew could be taken away at any time.

'At any moment...they can be stopped by a police officer and given to immigration and put in deportation proceedings,' Belman added.

The president's executive order could protect his parents and as many as five million others, allowing them to stay here in the United States.

'Many of these families experience these fears because they know they're in jeopardy,' said Galvino Fernandez with the League of United Latin American Citizens. He says the plan would mean fewer families living in fear. 'They know they can only get involved to a certain limit...a certain level.'

For Belman, it means a chance for his family to give back to the country he says has given his family so much.

Greg Abbott's stance on president's plan

Governor-elect Greg Abbott disagrees with President Obama's decision to take executive action on immigration.

Earlier this week, Abbott said the authority to come up with an immigration plan and pass it into law is vested solely with the Congress.

'What the president needs to do is stop working in isolation, stop working antagonistically towards members of the US Congress and start working with them on crafting a plan that will fix the broken immigration system in this country,' Abbott said.

Abbott told Fox News the state of Texas will likely sue the Obama administration if it pursues executive action.

Deferred Action for Children Arrivals

Back in June of 2012, President Obama unveiled the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals program.

Dozens of students at the University of Texas celebrated the move which allows immigrants under 31 to apply for a reprieve from deportation. The program is meant to help those who arrived in the country illegally as children.

More than 600,000 people have already been shielded from deportation under the program.

Reports say President Obama may remove the age limit so more immigrants are eligible.