Obama: Illegals Are ‘Americans in Their Heart’

"What we're also saying tough, is that for those who have American children or children who are legal permanent residents, that you can actually register and submit yourself to a criminal background check, pay any back taxes, and commit to paying future taxes. And if you do that you get as a piece of paper that gives you insurance that you can work and live here without fear of deportation.That does not apply to everybody but it does apply to roughly 5 million, about half of what is estimated to be the number of undocumented workers here.

Now, that is a temporary just like DACA, the program that we put in place for young people who were brought here, who otherwise are good citizens, or studying, working, join our military. We did that several years ago where we said it does not make sense for us to subject these young people to a deportation risk. They are Americans in their hearts, even if they don't have a right piece of paper. That is temporary as well although it's been subject to renewal."