The US President, George W Bush, has given his clearest indication yet that he is willing to support a compromise on immigration reform.
Earlier this month, the US Senate failed to pass compromise reforms which prompted mass demonstrations across the country.
Mr Bush is in favour of some form of a guest worker programme as one way to solve the problem of the estimated 12 million undocumented people in the US. He also favours tougher border control.
He reiterated this view in a speech in California, a state where the Republican party has suffered in the past for being perceived as too hardline on illegal immigration.
But he also said that a 'massive deportation' of illegal immigrants was simply not possible, dealing a blow to those in his own party who want only to pass a border control bill without giving in to what they see as calls for an immigration amnesty.
The US leader added that he did not favour granting an automatic path to citizenship for long-term illegals, something the supporters of the McCain Kennedy Bill favour.
Mr Bush had summoned a bi-partisan group of Senators to the White House today to discuss immigration reform. Work on a new compromise bill is under way and will be debated next month.
