Deferring deportations is the right thing to do

The photos were heartening and heartbreaking. Thousands of young people lined up on a sweltering summer day, clutching the papers that chart their lives in America: diplomas and awards, pay stubs and rent receipts, bank statements and tax returns.

But there was one document none of them had: proof of U.S. citizenship, or even a valid visa. They have lives but not legality. They are here but not here. They are neighbors and friends, co-workers and classmates. And yet they are one traffic ticket or computer check away from being sent back to countries they remember dimly, or not at all.

An estimated 1.7 million young people who were brought to the United States as children are living here illegally. They are blameless but stateless. The failure to help them has been a national disgrace. Finally, the Obama administration is taking one small step in the right direction.

Under a new plan, these young people can apply for