FILE - In this May 31, 2011 file photo, illegal immigrant Georgina Perez attends a meeting organizing a rally where illegal immigrant high school students plan to tell their stories and "come out of the shadows" in Atlanta. A policy shift announced by President Barack Obama in June essentially gives certain young people brought to this country illegally immunity from deportation for at least two years and the chance to apply for a work permit. Now Perez and young activist leaders are deciding whether it's worth accepting a deal that falls far short of their demands. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has granted over 53,000 requests for protection from deportation since the government began accepting applications in August. Georgia ranks ninth nationally in the number of people who have applied.
To be eligible, applicants have to prove they arrived in the U.S. before they turned 16 and are under 30 years old. They must be high school graduates or in school, or have served in the military, and they cannot have a serious criminal record.
The new policy does not provide legal status, and protection from deportation and work authorization is only for two years.
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