An immigrant from Mexico who lived in the United States for most of his life without documentation will be allowed to practice law in New York, a Brooklyn appellate court ruled Wednesday.

Cesar Vargas, 31, who immigrated with his family as a boy, obtained a law degree from the City University of New York Law School and passed the bar exam. He applied in 2012 to join the New York bar but was held back over concerns about his immigration status.

Although “undocumented,” Vargas is authorized to be present in the United States under the federal government's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.