Carlos Rojas Alvarez came to the United States with his family in 1999 on a six-month tourist visa, escaping violence and poverty in Colombia.
Now 21, Rojas Alvarez became eligible to work and drive in 2012 when President Obama approved DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals, but like 11 million other undocumented immigrants, his mother's life continued to be filled with fear and menial jobs.
So President Obama's executive order, providing work permits to almost 4 million undocumented parents, was extremely emotional for him and his mom.
"She was in tears," he said. "She was ecstatic. She had finally been able to realize a little piece of the dream that had brought her to this country."
Carlos was at Boston's SEIU union offices Friday with other immigrants and advocates to respond to Obama's address.
Belgica Garcon's 10-year-old daughter has feared her mother would be sent back to Ecuador - the country she left 16 years ago in search of a better life.
With the help of an interpreter, Garcon explains the relief her family felt.
"My three little ones say, 'Mama, Mama, now you can drive, now you don't have to be afraid, now you're not going to be deported,'" she said.
But among undocumented immigrants, there are mixed feelings.
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Sobbing, an undocumented immigrant from Brazil who wants to remain anonymous says President Obama just broke her heart again.
She says she came to the U.S. when she was six months past her 16th birthday - 16 is the cutoff age for the DACA and therefore, Alneida, now 31, does not qualify for temporary legal status.
"We're living in the shadow," she said. "We get jobs, but we're afraid that our employers are going to find out about our situation. We're afraid of driving because we're afraid of being deported."
