10 things you need to know today: August 15, 2012

Obama's immigration initiative takes effect, insurgents kill dozens of Afghan civilians, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

Los Angeles students demonstrate in June to call for an end to deportations: In a policy change that same month, the Obama administration said it would stop deporting young illegal immigrants
(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

1. IMMIGRATION OFFICES BRACE FOR A RUSH

Immigration authorities are expecting a flood of applications starting Wednesday, as 1.2 million young illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children become eligible to apply to stay and work here under an initiative put forth by President Obama. Advocacy groups plan celebrations to mark what they say is a humanitarian no-brainer, while Republican critics deride the move as a backdoor offer of amnesty and a naked ploy for Hispanic votes. Both sides say the government should expect an expensive mountain of paperwork. [Los Angeles Times]

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