▁citizens , ▁or ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁legal ▁permanent ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁five ▁years , ▁are ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁de fer r als , ▁as ▁are ▁about ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁imm igr ants ▁who ▁arrived ▁as ▁children ▁before ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁M embers ▁of ▁this ▁second ▁group ▁would ▁be ▁el ig ible ▁by ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁De ferred ▁Action ▁for ▁Child hood ▁Ar rival s ▁( D AC A ) ▁program , ▁which ▁previously ▁covered ▁ 1 . 2 ▁million ▁people , ▁the ▁expansion ▁bringing ▁the ▁new ▁coverage ▁total ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million . ▁The ▁new ▁de fer r als ▁would ▁be ▁granted ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁at ▁a ▁time . ▁Supp lement al ▁executive ▁actions ▁also ▁announced ▁include ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁Sec ure ▁Commun ities ▁program , ▁increased ▁resources ▁for ▁border ▁enfor cement , ▁and ▁new ▁procedures ▁for ▁" high - sk illed ▁imm igr ants ". ▁These ▁other ▁" parts ▁of ▁the ▁president ' s ▁plan " ▁could ▁provide ▁" prote ction ▁from ▁deport ation " ▁for ▁roughly ▁" an ▁additional ▁one ▁million ▁people ". ▁President ▁Ob ama ' s ▁actions ▁were ▁clearly ▁presented ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁Congress ▁having ▁been ▁unable ▁in ▁recent ▁years ▁to ▁agree ▁on ▁a ▁general ▁legisl ative ▁over ha ul ▁of ▁U . S . ▁imm igration ▁policy . ▁Ob ama ▁indicated : ▁ ▁[ By ] ▁acting ▁where ▁Congress ▁has ▁failed   ... ▁[ I ▁hope ]