President Barack Obama is expected to begin his push for immigration reform next week. Today he met with several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at the White House to discuss plans for the legislation.
According to Congressmen at the meeting, the president said he shares the same vision as the caucus, saying that any legislation must include a path to earned citizenship.
There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. A pathway to citizenship is considered critical by advocates for immigration reform.
The chairman of the Hispanic Caucus, Illinois Representative Luis Gutierrez, issued a statement after the White House meeting saying,
“Immigrants need action now and immigration reform cannot wait. We all need to work together -- the president and Congress, Republicans and Democrats -- to get something done right away," Gutierrez said.
The president is expected to unveil his plans for immigration reform on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile a bipartisan group of senators, including Arizona senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, are expected to announce a set of principles next month followed by their own set of immigration reform bills.