Heading into his final two years in office when Republicans will hold majorities in both houses of Congress, President Barack Obama on Thursday announced a unilateral move to provide some surety for parents who are in the country illegally, earning praise from members of the Massachusetts delegation and scorn from other corners.

Announcing his orders during an 8 p.m. speech, Obama said the federal government would simultaneously heighten border security and focus on deporting criminals.

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson announced the Secure Communities program would be replaced with a Priority Enforcement Program that targets unauthorized immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. Secure Communities uses information and cooperation from local police to enforce immigration laws, and critics have said it too often targets people who have not committed any crimes, sowing distrust of the police.

The White House said recent border crossers would be prioritized for deportation, the immigration courts would be streamlined and the Department of Labor would expand options for victims of crime and trafficking.

Obama's new policy allows applications for work authorization and relief from deportation for unauthorized immigrants who have been in the country for more than five years and have children that are either citizens or legal residents. The temporary relief would last three years at a time, and applicants would need to submit biometric data, pay fees and show their children were born before the Nov. 20 announcement. The president also expanded the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals plan, which allows people who entered the country illegally as children to work without fear of deportation.

The White House said the policy would "hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable."

Obama's action, taken after years of wrangling over immigration legislation, leaves the floor open for a legislative response from Republicans who retained control of the House and won the Senate in the Nov. 4 elections.

"If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act," U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican poised to become majority leader said in a statement ahead of Obama's announcement. "We're considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act."

The 11-member Massachusetts delegation, composed entirely of Democrats, was supportive of the proposal and defended his decision to act unilaterally while holding out hope for immigration legislation.

"President Obama is invoking the same executive authority used more than 30 times by every American president since Eisenhower to repair our flawed system," said Congressman Richard Neal, of Springfield, in a statement. Neal described the action as "a modest and commonsense proposal that gives temporary relief to undocumented immigrants, defers deportations, and secures our borders. It will also overhaul our current enforcement system to bring more accountability to the process. It's a good place to begin the conversation on immigration, but ultimately it is up to Congress to complete the job."

Immigration activists have campaigned for action to provide relief to millions of people living in the country illegally and subject to the potential of deportations back to their home countries.

"We applaud President Obama's common-sense action in responding to the community's calls for relief by stemming some of the deepest injustices of our broken immigration system," said Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Executive Director Eva Millona. "And we applaud all the different sectors of our movement that have made this victory possible."