Obama Praises Bipartisan Movement on Immigration Reform

"Path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants still a sticking point between parties

President Obama called on Congress, in a speech here Tuesday, to advance an immigration overhaul that includes a plan "that finally deals with the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are in this country right now."

In remarks billed as a major address on immigration policy, the president also welcomed bipartisan movement in Congress on the politically charged issue, which has defied solution in recent years.

"The good news is that — for the first time in many years — Republicans and Democrats seem ready to tackle this problem together," Mr. Obama said. "Members of both parties, in both chambers, are actively working on a solution. And yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators announced their principles for comprehensive immigration reform, which are very much in line with the principles I've proposed and campaigned on for the last few years. At this moment, it looks like there's a genuine desire to get this done soon. And that's very encouraging."