Obama Pushes Immigration Reform Despite Congressional Standstill

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will kick off a campaign-style push on comprehensive immigration reform Tuesday afternoon with a major speech in El Paso, Texas, but don't expect Congress to pass legislation anytime soon.

The president is “trying to lead a constructive and civil debate on the need to fix the broken immigration system,” said a senior administration official during a Monday night conference call. The official said Obama will lay out a blueprint for action during his speech and will continue pressing the issue in the coming months as part of a broader effort to “responsibly move forward in advancing legislation in Congress.”