Irvine (California): US President George W Bush said on Monday he doubted a "massive deportation" of foreigners living illegally in the United States would solve the country's immigration woes, as he tried to revive prospects for an election-year agreement in the divided US Congress.
Senators returned to Washington from a two-week recess after Democrats and Republicans were unable to reach a compromise on what to do about an estimated 11.5 million to 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
"I know this is an emotional debate," Bush said. "But one thing we cannot lose sight of is that we're talking about human beings, decent human beings that need to be treated with respect. Massive deportation of the people here is unrealistic. It's just not going to work," he added.
The bill before the Senate would tighten border security and give many illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, while the House of Representatives has passed legislation that further criminalises illegal entry into the United States.
Bush, wrapping up a West Coast swing, said he favoured a temporary worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to work in United States, but opposed granting automatic citizenship.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said Bush had summoned a bipartisan group of senators to the White House on Tuesday to discuss immigration.
Senator Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, commended Bush for addressing the issue. "I am encouraged by the President's backing of this approach and hope that his leadership will help bring more Republicans together behind our tough but fair plan, so that we can finally fix our broken immigration system," he said.
Some Republicans and Democrats believe it is possible for Congress to reach agreement this election year.
Dozens of protesters outside the hotel where Bush spoke in California held signs illustrating the divide on the issue, such as "Save Our Nation Secure Our Borders" and "Support Immigrant Rights."
Bush has been pressing for immigration reform since early in his presidency.
The former governor of Texas, which borders Mexico, has come under fire from some in his Republican Party for not pushing hard enough for Congress to pass legislation.
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