The Obama administration is not backing down on executive action on immigration and may soon issue an order protecting up to 5 million people from deportation, USA Today reported citing unnamed officials who say final details are being ironed out.

Ignoring "angry protests from Republicans," President Barack Obama's plan would also provide for work permits for many of those who are in the country illegally, The New York Times noted.

"Asserting his authority as president to enforce the nation's laws with discretion, Mr. Obama intends to order changes that will significantly refocus the activities of the government's 12,000 immigration agents," the newspaper said. "One key piece of the order, officials said, will allow many parents of children who are American citizens or legal residents to obtain legal work documents and no longer worry about being discovered, separated from their families and sent away."

The Obama administration is reportedly considering two different cutoff dates: as many as 2.5 million people stand to benefit if those who have been in the United States for 10 years are eligible; if the time frame were shortened to five years, the number would rise to 3.3 million people.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that the president will "unveil a 10-part plan for overhauling U.S. immigration policy via executive action ... as early as (Nov. 21)."

"The draft plan ... contains 10 initiatives that span everything from boosting border security to improving pay for immigration officers. But the most controversial pertain to the millions who could get a deportation reprieve under what is known as 'deferred action,'" the news channel detailed. "The plan calls for expanding deferred action for illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children -- but also for the parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. The latter could allow upwards of 4.5 million illegal immigrant adults with U.S.-born children to stay, according to estimates."

Kevin Appleby, the director of migration policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, told The New York Times that this was Obama's "last chance" to keep his promise to fix the immigration system.

"If he delays again, the immigration activists would -- just politically speaking -- jump the White House fence," Appleby said.

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