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A House GOP lawmaker is urging Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to bring up immigration reform, saying it would benefit the nation and the Republican Party to undertake an overhaul that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The letter from Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) adds to a quiet but growing chorus of comments from House Republicans during the current congressional recess speaking in favor of immigration reform this year which remains a steep uphill battle, with the House GOP fundamentally divided on the hot-button issue.

In the missive, dated April 23, King tells Boehner that a confluence of events makes immigration reform possible, including a path to citizenship coupled with strong and real border security and enforcement measures.

(Also on POLITICO: 22 Senate GOPers: Grave concern on deportations)

It would be in our countrys national interest as well as the interest of our party if this could be achieved and I want to assure you of my support as this effort goes forward, King wrote.

King, a former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, calls for the strongest language possible that would compel President Barack Obama and future administrations to comply with whatever border-security laws that lawmakers write. Security measures included in the Senate Gang of Eight bill, as well as a separate House border-security bill passed through a House committee last year, provide a good base to start from, he said.

As to the issues of legalization and citizenship for undocumented immigrants, I fully understand and appreciate the argument that illegal behavior should not be rewarded, King wrote. The reality though is that we are not going to deport 11 million immigrants.

The letter, which has not been widely released, was obtained by POLITICO and confirmed by Kings office. It follows remarks from other House Republicans this week including Illinois Reps. Aaron Schock, Adam Kinzinger and John Shimkus raising the need for immigration reform.

(Also on POLITICO: Peter King: Rand Paul 'feeding into paranoia')

But the chances of the GOP-led House taking up an issue so politically charged and legislatively complex as immigration reform remains low, particularly in an election year. Its leaders argue that they cant trust Obama to implement any laws they pass impeding the pathway for immigration reform.

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King urges immigration reform

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, mocked his Republican colleagues for being too scared to reform the nation's immigration laws during a speech Thursday in his home district.

"Here's the attitude: 'Ohhhh. Don't make me do this. Ohhhh. This is too hard,'" he told a meeting of the Middletown Rotary Club.

"We get elected to make choices. We get elected to solve problems and it's remarkable to me how many of my colleagues just don't want to," he continued. "They'll take the path of least resistance."

Boehner said his work pushing the House of Representatives to deal with immigration reform has earned him a few bruises. "I've had every brick and bat and arrow shot at me over this issue just because I wanted to deal with it. I didn't say it was going to be easy," he said.

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President Obama describes his recent conversation about immigration reform with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.

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A new immigration reform proposal from the House Republican leadership has triggered an intramural fight inside the party. Jeff Pegues reports.

President Obama and congressional Democrats have roasted the House for failing to act on immigration reform. They've accused Boehner of appeasing his party's far right wing at the expense of sensible, bipartisan policy. Even some Senate Republicans have predicted that the Senate bill would pass if Boehner ever brought it to the floor.

Boehner, ultimately the only person who could force the House to vote on a bill, has said he recognizes the nation's immigration system is broken, but he's also said he doesn't want to get out in front of his conference - that he wants the House to "work its will" on immigration.

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John Boehner mocks House Republicans for avoiding immigration reform

WASHINGTON, DC -- A group of 22 senators _ all but two of whom voted against a Senate-approved immigration reform bill _ warned President Barack Obama Thursday in a letter that immigration changes his administration is considering would be a near complete abandonment of immigration enforcement.

The letter also accused the president of taking actions that show an astonishing disregard for the Constitution, rule of law, and the rights of American citizens and residents.

The letter follows a directive from Obama to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to review the administrations enforcement practices to ensure they are humanely applied. Johnson has been meeting with various groups, including activists, farm growers, religious leaders and business owners. He has been seeking input regarding deportations, which have created intense backlash against Obama from his political base.

The changes under consideration would represent a near abandonment of basic immigration enforcement and discard the rule of law and the notion that the United States has enforceable borders, said the letter dated Thursday first reported by The Associated Press. A copy of the letter was also obtained by NBC News.

A call and email to the office of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell requesting comment were not immediately returned.

The changes under consideration would represent a near abandonment of basic immigration enforcement and discard the rule of law," stated a group of Republican Senators.

In response to the letter, DHS spokesperson Peter Boogaard said in a statement that Johnson had "also sought and welcomed the ideas of various stakeholders and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, which represent a diverse set of views and opinions."

The GOP senators said Obamas immigration enforcement policies have nullified enforcement in the interior to the point that unless individuals in the country illegally are apprehended, tried and convicted for a felony or other serious offense, they are free to live and work in the country.

That accusation follows efforts by Obama to push back against criticism from activists who have labeled the president deporter in chief and blasted him for the 2 million deportations that have occurred under his watch.

The administration and Democratic allies have recently begun arguing that the presidents enforcement policies are actually more humane, efficient and are focused on stopping people at the border and assessing stiffer penalties to prevent people who have been deported from crossing again. The Republican letter does not mention the presidents border enforcement efforts.

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GOP Senators Accuse Obama of Abandoning Immigration Enforcement

MADISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio, April 25 (UPI) -- House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, mocked his Republican colleagues on immigration reform at an event on Thursday in his home district.

He was speaking on the prospects of Congress passing immigration reform and said he didn't believe that it had a good chance at making it through the House. He said he believed that immigration reform should come to the floor this year but summed up his fellow Republicans response in one animated sentence.

"Oohh don't make me do this! Oh this is too hard!" he cried as he impersonates the GOP quivering.

Although the Senate passed an immigration reform bill in June, the House has not brought a bill on the matter to a vote. Republicans say they prefer a piecemeal approach but no movement has been made on that either. Boehner's frustration with the inaction of his party is apparent in this video.

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John Boehner mocks his GOP colleagues on immigration reform

With immigration reform stalled in the House, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, mocked his Republican colleagues in remarks on Thursday, suggesting that they are afraid to address the controversial issue.

"Here's the attitude. Ohhhh, don't make me do this. Ohhhh, this is too hard," Boehner whined during a campaign stop in his home district in southwestern Ohio.

"We get elected to make choices. We get elected to solve problems and it's remarkable to me how many of my colleagues just don't want to," he added. "They'll take the path of least resistance."

Boehner said he's been working for more than a year to try to reach a deal on immigration reform despite the resistance from members of his own party.

"I've had every brick and bat and arrow shot at me over this issue just because I wanted to deal with it," Boehner said. "I didn't say it was going to be easy."

While the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill almost a year ago, House Republicans have failed to take action on the bill due in part to GOP opposition to providing a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Boehner has previously indicated that he prefers a piecemeal approach to reform that starts with securing the borders and enforcing existing immigration laws.

At the same time, the House Speaker has suggested that a lack of faith in President Barack Obama's willingness to properly enforce the laws has held up progress on reform.

Heritage Action, a prominent conservative group, was highly critical of Boehner's remarks about his fellow Republicans, with CEO Michael Needham calling the Speaker's comments "disappointing, but by now not surprising."

"The Republican Party should be large enough for fact-based policy debates," Needham said. "Unfortunately, John Boehner is more interested in advancing the agenda of high-powered DC special interests than inspiring Americans with a policy vision that allows freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society to flourish."

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Boehner Mocks Republican Colleagues On Immigration Reform