WASHINGTON, Nov. 20-- U.S. President Barack Obama announced Thursday night a set of executive actions that will make roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants in the country eligible to avoid deportation.

The plan will allow undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, known as green card holders, to legally live and work in the country for a period of three years.

It also expanded the pool of undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children who are eligible for protected status.

"Mass amnesty would be unfair. Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character," Obama said in a prime-time address at White House, saying "what I'm describing is accountability - a common sense, middle ground approach."

He added that "if you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you're a criminal, you'll be deported. If you plan to enter the U.S. illegally, your chances of getting caught and sent back just went up."

The president urged his congressional opponents to pass a bill on it, saying "the actions I'm taking are not only lawful, they're the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every Democratic president for the past half century."