Obama Reassures Illegal Immigrants Worried About Deportation

OBAMA: " -- what we also did was we said, we're going to change how I.C.E. And our border patrol system operates. Because we recognize we're not going to deport 11 million people. And so why we would want to allocate resources in a wasteful way, that doesn't make sense. What we said was, let's prioritize who we're really focused on. We're focused on criminals. And gang members who are a threat to our community. And we're focused on the border, and making sure the people who just come that we are making sure that they are in a position where they understand that they've got to come through legal pathways. But for people who have been living here for a long time, they are no longer prioritized for enforcement and deportation. And so even as people should be preparing their paperwork so that when the time comes that they can apply, in the meantime, understand that I.C.E. And the border security mechanisms that we have in place, they are instructed to focus on criminals, and people who have just crossed the border. If you've been here for a long time and if you qualify generally, then during this period, even with legal uncertainty, they should be in a good place."