President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions will provide nearly 4.9 million undocumented immigrants to be deferred from deportation.

However, other human rights concerns have remained unaddressed, according to one of the largest international human rights organizations.

Human Rights Watch called for Obama and Congress to end the maltreatment of undocumented immigrants at the border as well as unnecessary detention and improper criminal penalties that could separate families.

"Last year's presidential action still leaves millions of people subject to unfair and harsh immigration laws and practices that cry out for reform," said Human Rights Watch's U.S. Advocacy Director Antonio Ginatta. "The arrival of a new Congress in Washington creates opportunities for policymakers to advance immigration reform that respects the rights of all."

According to Human Rights Watch, Obama's immigration executive action does not address protection against deportation and safeguards for parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent resident children, specifically parents that were apprehended at the border. The international human rights organization also acknowledged Obama's inaction on undocumented immigrant families recently apprehended by law enforcement.

"The mass deportation policies of recent years have left hundreds of thousands of families forcibly separated," Ginatta said. "The Obama administration and Congress have much more to do to uphold the rights of migrants and their families."

Human Rights Watch launched a questions and answers webpage about the immigration executive actions on Thursday. As Latin Post reported, more than 4 million undocumented immigrants are eligible to apply for deferment from deportation if the individual lived in the U.S. for more than five years and does not have a criminal record. A new program, as a result of the Nov. 20 executive action, titled Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) would also allow undocumented immigrant parents of current U.S. citizens or lawful permanent resident children to apply for deferment.

Despite calls to address other issues affecting undocumented immigrants, Human Rights Watch acknowledged the Nov. 20 executive actions as "important and laudable initiatives that promise to reduce abuses against many unauthorized migrants and their families."

During his primetime address, Obama noted the executive actions would help ensure the deportation of "felons, not families." Human Rights Watch, however, found a discrepancy regarding Obama's statement.

"All families are entitled to a fair hearing in which their right to live together as a family is weighed against the government's interest in deporting them, and that includes the families of persons with felony convictions," wrote Human Rights Watch, adding that the "criminals" referenced by Obama include individuals convicted of "relatively minor offenses" such as shoplifting, reentering the U.S. following prior deportation, traffic offenses and "simple possession of marijuana and cocaine."

"Under current U.S. law, many such convictions are considered an 'aggravated felony.' The immigration officials and courts overseeing the deportations of people with 'aggravated felonies' are powerless to take into account the circumstances of each individual's case -- they must treat the immigrant as a dangerous criminal and order the person removed from the U.S. for life. Those who re-enter the country illegally after a conviction for such 'aggravated felonies' can face up to 20 years in federal prison," Human Rights Watch added.

According to the organization, more than 1 million family members were affected by deportations due to nonviolent offenses between 1997 and 2007. The rate of deportations for nonviolent deportations is projected to be higher as more than 2 million undocumented immigrants have been deported since Obama's first inauguration.

Human Rights Watch also noted the executive actions do not improve an undocumented immigrants' due process rights and the individuals' access to counsel in asylum or deportation proceedings.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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