Member-supported news for Southern California
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Support for LAist comes from:

Immigration: Obama to sign executive order at Las Vegas high school

Ways to Subscribe
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on immigration reform at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 29, 2013. Obama hailed a "genuine desire" among warring U.S. politicians to pursue immigration reform, ahead of a speech laying out his own approach to the politically fiery issue.
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on immigration reform at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 29, 2013. Obama hailed a "genuine desire" among warring U.S. politicians to pursue immigration reform, ahead of a speech laying out his own approach to the politically fiery issue.

Obama will sign his immigration executive order at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas, where more than 60 percent of students are Hispanic and about 13 percent are English language learners.

Thursday night, President Obama addressed the nation about the need to reform the country's immigration system. 

In a step to fix it, the President announced plans that would protect 5 million undocumented people from deportation.

That group includes the parents of legal residents and U.S. citizens.

And the plan extends the deferred action program for those who arrived here as children. 

There are some additional protections for high skilled tech workers but not for farm workers and millions of people are left out.

That's left immigrant communities divided on the plan.

And Republicans have wasted no time in saying they'll fight it.

But first, a look at where President Obama will sign this executive order.

He'll be in Las Vegas, at Del Sol High School.

This is his third visit to the campus. He laid out his broad plans for immigration there last year.

More than 60 percent of students at Del Sol are Hispanic. About 13 percent are English language learners.

For more on why this might be the ideal location to roll out a sweeping plan for immigration reform, Take Two talks to Lisa Garcia Bedolla. 

She's a professor of political science and education at UC Berkeley, and author of, "Fluid Borders: Latino Power, Identity, and Politics in Los Angeles." 

Stay Connected