President Barack Obama announced this week his plan for executive action on immigration, and his plans will not only effect undocumented immigrants in the U.S., but also their young children.

According to new data from the Pew Research Center, “while unauthorized immigrants accounted for an estimated 3.5 percent of the population in the United States in 2012, the report noted that ‘children with at least one unauthorized immigrant parent accounted for 6.9 [percent] of U.S. students in kindergarten through 12th grade,’” said an article on HuffingtonPost.com.

“The trend varies vastly by state,” the article said. “For example, in Nevada, nearly 18 percent of all K-12 students have at least one parent who is undocumented. On the other hand, in seven states, less than 1 percent of students have an undocumented parent.”

The report “shows that Obama's plan will impact a significant number of the country's children,” the article said. The Huffington Post said the board vice president of the Lost Angeles Unified School District sent a letter “urging Obama to act for this reason.”

The trend, the article said, "varies vastly by state."

"For example, in Nevada, nearly 18 percent of all K-12 students have at least one parent who is undocumented," said The Huffington Post. "On the other hand, in seven states, less than 1 percent of students have an undocumented parent."

"The stable home environment that nurtures parents' participation is lacking in the homes of school children who live in fear of immigration authorities.This is why President Obama must bring relief to aspiring citizens living in fear of deportation," the letter said. "He must do what's best for our children -- native born and immigrant alike -- by ensuring that their parents can focus on raising their kids, instead of being distracted by the terror of being deported."

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor