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Relief Comes For Denver Families After Obama's Immigration Order

DENVER (CBS4) - Life suddenly changed Thursday night for Trinidad Poot Medina and his family. The emergence from the shadows is not just a cliché.

His wife and three children will no longer have to worry that he could be deported.

"This is great for me, for my family, for my kids," he said Friday.

Medina is one of 64,000 illegal immigrants living in Colorado who will be impacted by President Barack Obama's order to allow nearly 5 million immigrants living illegally in the United States to stay as long as they register, pass background checks and pay taxes.

Qualifying immigrants must have children who were born in the country, are lawful permanent residents, or were brought into the country illegally before Jan. 1, 2010, and have lived in the United States for at least five years.

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The Medinas live in a trailer home paid for by his jobs in construction and restaurants. He's lived in the United States for 17 years after arriving from Mexico.

He said he still lives in fear.

"Yeah, so much when we are driving, when we are on the street any time," Medina said.

His wife and children are U.S. citizens and want to stay in the country.

"If they are living in Mexico, they don't have that chance to (live) the American dream," he said.

Medinas
Medina and his family (credit: CBS)

If he meets the president's restrictions, he will be able to travel back to Mexico to visit his father and legally return to the United States.

"This is good for me. I would like to see my father as soon as possible," he said.

There are more than 90,000 immigrants living in Colorado who will not be shielded by Obama's change in policy.

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