US President George W Bush has said the debate over immigration reform has reached a time of decision.
In a prime time television address, he called on Congress to pass legislation that includes a temporary worker programme and the possibility for long-term illegal immigrants to work towards citizenship.
Mr Bush is also deploying 6,000 National Guard troops, in the short term, to increase security along the border with Mexico.
President Bush's decision to address the nation directly on immigration underlines how big an issue it has become.
There are between 11 and 12 million undocumented people in the US and with mid-term elections looming, many feel this is the last opportunity for major legislation to be enacted.
The president spent much of his speech outlining plans to increase border security by deploying National Guard troops for up to a year while new border patrol agents are trained.
But he parted ways with some conservative Republicans when he endorsed, in broad terms, the compromise plan reached in the Senate last month that would allow those in the US illegally for five years or more, to apply for citizenship once certain conditions are met.
He described it as 'the rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a programme of mass deportation'.
The Senate resumed its debate on immigration reform this week.
