President Obama has instructed immigration agents to use "prosecutorial discretion" when it comes to detaining undocumented parents of minor children.

Obama also said that parents who are detained should have visitation rights and the chance to participate in family court proceedings when applicable.

A similar program is already in place, but the new one affects parents who have already been detained or who will be picked up by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Brandon Montgomery, who serves as a spokesperson for ICE, told ABC News about the specifications of the new program. "It clarifies that ICE officers and agents may, on a case-by-case basis, utilize alternatives to detention for these individuals particularly when the detention of a non-criminal alien would result in a child being left without an appropriate parental caregiver," he said.

The news is seen as a victory for immigrant rights groups, and many religious groups such as the Catholic Church have been backing the president in his fight to improve immigration laws. The New York Times reported that Catholic bishops and priests across the country would be using Sunday masses to advocate for immigration reform.

However, this has already caused a stir among conservatives who have opposed these reforms. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who is known for his public opposition to immigration reform, sounded off on the news and blamed Obama for overstepping his boundaries.

"President Obama has once again abused his authority and unilaterally refused to enforce our current immigration laws by directing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to stop removing broad categories of unlawful immigrants," Goodlatte said.

In the last week. Goodlatte has been vociferous in his opposition to a pathway to citizenship for many of the 11 millin undocumented immigrants in the country, but he has also issued conflicting comments about the issue. While he says he understands the problems facing young children who were educated in the U.S., he still does not believe they should get "a pathway to citizenship that is created especially for them."