Undocumented immigrants received a bit of good news earlier this month when the Obama administration decided not to move forward with approximately 16% of the deportation cases in Denver; a similar percentage of cases were dropped in Baltimore. The immigrants in those cases, a total of about 1,650 people, pose no security risk and will be allowed to stay in the United States. These immigrants’ legal status will not change, however.

President Obama directed the Department of Homeland Security to review the cases of all 300,000 immigrants facing deportation. The policy is being first tested in Denver and Baltimore. If the same percentages hold across the country, nearly 40,000 deportation cases could be dropped. The Obama administration wants to have the policy in place throughout the country by this summer so Utah immigrants may have to wait several months for the policy to be implemented here.

This policy, however, will not be a panacea for Utah immigrants. The affected immigrants will be left in limbo, as they will not be able to obtain a Utah driver’s license, nor will they be able to legally work.