The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin giving work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives.

The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of a growing
Latino electorate that has opposed administration deportation
policies.

The administration's decision will affect as many as 800,000
immigrants. Two senior administration officials described the plan
on condition of anonymity ahead of its expected announcement
Friday.

Illegal immigrants will avoid deportation and be eligible for
work permits if they arrived in the U.S. before age 16, are younger
than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous
years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school
or earned a GED, or served in the military.