The new migrant program established by the Obama Administration will bring hope to approximately 1.8 million immigrants who will now be allowed to stay in the United States. Yet these immigrants need to fit a small window of qualifications in order to receive this privilege. They must have arrived in the United States before they were 16, and need to be enrolled in high school or have completed high school or a GED in order to be eligible for reprieve. The immigrants that meet qualifications will be granted a two-year grace period from the threat of prosecution. They can reside and work in the United States without any fear of being removed from the country. Yet those who entered the United States later in life, have criminal records, or do not meet another of the government’s qualifications will not be protected, and can be arrested and deported at any time.

The government already anticipates that some men and women will try to lie on applications in order to gain the two-year reprieve. If they commit fraud, police will be waiting to take them to jail and send them back to their country in a swift deportation trial. Yahoo! News reports that fraud is a major concern because some undocumented immigrants will attempt to submit false information on their applications. Immigration analysts say that they have already noted that many older immigrants are desperate to obtain reprieve and don’t mind lying about their age and other requirements in order to get their deferred action. The widespread fraud might hurt Obama politically because he has already come under attack from Republicans who are accusing him of creating a “backdoor amnesty” for illegal immigrants. The President wants to keep his rapport with the public in check as he attempts to win the next election.

Obama’s amnesty plan was created after Congress already disapproved of the DREAM Act that he wanted to implement during his first term. The DREAM Act languished in Congress for years before it was struck down. The new measure has many of the same requirements that the DREAM Act did, though it is not as widespread. The original DREAM Act granted men and women who went to college or served in the military automatic citizenship. This new measure only grants them a temporary residency. Analysts say that if fraud becomes a large issue with this first step towards immigration reform, it may halt Congress from ever reconsidering broader measures like the DREAM Act.

Officials say that any immigrants who engage in fraud will be referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and treated as a priority for immigration enforcement. They will also be subject to criminal prosecution for fraud charges. Many officials believe that fraud charges will come when men and women buy fake diplomas in order to prove their educational credentials. This is why the officials want to be vigilant in testing every single document for its validity. There are 33 different documents that can be used to prove education, as listed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Those that want to receive deferred action must be under the age of 31 and have entered the United States before they were 16. Officials say that immigrants won’t be interviewed to determine this and that may be an invitation for fraud. Older immigrants can simply lie on their applications. With thousands of applications to process, some of the lying immigrants might slip through the cracks. If you have been charged with immigration fraud, then talk to an immigration attorney right now to get defense in your trial! With the help of an accomplished attorney, you may be able to avoid jail time and/or deportation!