Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, who shares President Obama’s commitment to enforce and administer “commonsense immigration reform” effectively, sensibly and in line with America’s values, recently met with business, law enforcement and faith community leaders to discuss plans to better enforce and administer these laws. At this meeting, Johnson highlighted the importance of Congressional action and support in passing this type of reform to permanently fix America’s broken immigration system.

There are thousands of immigrants illegally residing in the U.S. who do not have serious criminal records. Johnson suggests shielding them from deportation and focusing on those illegal immigrants who have committed repeat immigration violations instead, like re-entering the country after being deported or failing to comply with a deportation order.

If “commonsense immigration reform” passes, immigrants who have re-entered the country after being deported and fugitives of immigration proceedings would be taken off the priority list; however, recent border-crossers and immigrants posing danger to national security would remain, although categories might be changed.

Activists also want Obama to expand a two-year work program that grants work permits, allowing certain immigrants brought here illegally as children to include other groups, like the parent(s) of any children born in the U.S.

The overall goal is to make America’s deportation policy more humane by adjusting priorities for deportation. Obama contends that the only way to fix this is through congressional action, but, for now at least, officials seem focused on more limited, near-term solutions.