INDIANAPOLIS -
Across the country and in central Indiana, undocumented people are applying to stay and work temporarily in the United States without the fear of deportation for at least two years.
Starting Wednesday, the federal government begins accepting applications for deferred action permits. That's prompted long lines at consulates in several cities, although not in Indianapolis.
People younger than 30 who arrived in the United States before the age of 16 who pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military, can apply. Participants must prove they've been living in the country continuously for at least five years.
The government renewed warnings that the process wouldn't lead to citizenship or give them permission to travel internationally.
The Pew Hispanic Center says up to 1.7 million people may qualify.
"For me this is, you know, really important because I actually have an order of deportation. And this is actually going to be lifted off so I get to stay here in my city that I love so much and my community," said one Las Vegas resident. "There's this perception that it's just mostly Latinos who are undocumented but we have Asians; we have people from over the world, Africa, India, even some Europeans."
For some, the first step is getting identification. Thousands gathered and formed long lines in Houston Tuesday to get IDs and passports at the consulates of Mexico and El Salvador.
"I want to get a job. I want to be able to have kids and for them to live the dream everybody wants," said one undocumented worker. "I have been here since I was a baby. This is my life. I can't even imagine having to start over in another country."
The rules mean previously undocumented students can now apply for work permits.
The president's order includes some provisions of the controversial DREAM Act, which failed to win enough Republican support to get congressional approval. Republicans reacted to the order with outrage, saying it amounts to amnesty and overrides congressional authority.
In June, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said that as president, he would seek to provide "certainty and clarity for people who come into this country through no fault of their own by virtue of the actions of their parents."
Although Republicans have attacked President Obama for being too soft on illegal immigration, the Obama administration has deported more people than any other president in the country's history.
Meantime, supporters of the DREAM Act say the order does not amount to amnesty, immunity or a path to citizenship, and they'd still like to see a permanent fix.
The forms can be found at the website for US Citizenship and Immigration Services. There's a $465 application fee.
The Mexican consulate in Indianapolis did not see the long lines witnessed in other cities like Houston.
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