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Still, the weight of the movement is pressuring the president, who called on Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to review the administrations enforcement policies for humane solutions within the scope of existing law.

This move by the president, who in the past deemed himself powerless to act alone to suspend deportations, has won him praise among supporters of the overhaul. But critics of Obamas directive fear a hollowing-out of immigration laws should proponents get their way on deportations.

Obama told Hispanic lawmakers in a meeting two weeks ago he was ordering the policy review out of a deep concern... for the pain these families face.

Johnson is already making the rounds to lawmakers to learn their views ahead of a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus next month. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., met with Johnson on Tuesday and other advocates will do the same in the coming weeks to discuss strategies to dial back the deportation of non-criminals and relieve, as much as possible within existing law, the family separation and pain that increasing deportations have caused in recent years, Gutierrez said.

Thats precisely the problem for Ira Mehlman, media director at the restrictionist Federation for American Immigration Reform, who said, there is almost nothing to dial back.

The administration has all but halted the deportation of non-criminals, Mehlman said.

Obamas record of deportations, the most of any administration, is about to hit 2 million. Some 400,000 people are deported each year, according to data from the Pew Research Center. These numbers have earned Obama the title of deporter-in-chief among immigrant groups.

But the statistics are rather deceptive -- something the president himself has admitted -- since more than half of the people counted as deported by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency were apprehended at the border. Those numbers wouldnt have been counted by past administrations, Johnson confirmed to lawmakers two weeks ago. According to ICE data, only 133,551 of the 368,644 removals in fiscal 2013 were immigrants caught inside the U.S. Moreover, 82 percent of the immigrants removed from within the U.S. were previously convicted of crimes. The administration has said its focus is to deport criminals and those who pose a security threat.

Nearly all of those were people who met the administrations own priority criteria, Mehlman said. He criticizes advocates on the other side like Gutierrez for blaming the impact of deportation on families on the execution of the law instead of those who violate it.

In every other area of law enforcement, we hold the people who broke the law responsible for any adverse consequences on family members, Mehlman said. Moreover, people who are deported have the option of taking spouses and children with them.

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Immigration Reform: Amid 'Deceptive' Statistics, Opponents Worry About Law's Effectiveness

That was the call from the House Democratic Whip, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who respectfully dared Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to put the comprehensive immigration reform bill on the floor to see whos right about a majority support existing in the lower chamber for the overhaul.

The two engaged in a conversation on the issue on the House floor a day after Democrats filed a discharge petition to force a vote on the immigration reform legislation. The petition will need buy-in from 218 lawmakers -- a long shot for Democrats -- to successfully force a floor vote.

Cantor said members of his caucus know the present immigration system is broken but that the serious deterioration in the trust factor with the White House to enforce the laws as they are on the books is whats preventing them from making the leap. He cited the Affordable Care Act as an example of the Obama administration changing policies regarding deadlines on a whim.

"That's not a good way to operate, Cantor said. Theres no interest in picking up a comprehensive bill like that if we cant trust that once the law is set the White House is going to implement the law as it stands.

Hoyer countered that the problem isnt a matter of trust, but whether the lower chamber is capable of acting.

What we can control is what we do, Hoyer said, adding that lawmakers can pass policy they believe is good. I believe its not passing because it is not put to the floor.

You may well be right [about a majority support not being there], the Maryland Democrat later added. Let the American people see that.

The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill last June, one similar to that being pushed by House Democrats. However, disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on how to make the restructuring occur -- even though both agree it is necessary -- are where things are at a standstill.

Even though the immigration legislation has been dead in the House for months now, Democrats see merit in keeping the issue in the news while on the campaign trail heading into the midterm elections. Still, they have said the issue transcends politics.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reiterated those claims on Thursday while speaking to U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

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Immigration Reform: Hoyer Challenges House GOP To Prove To America There's No Support

Arguing that the votes to overhaul the broken system are there, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelsoi, D-Calif., is using the procedural tactic to gain the support of lawmakers to force House Speaker John Boehners hand on a floor vote.

Democrats have called for a vote on H.R. 15 for months, but even before it was first introduced, the House GOP leadership said it was dead on arrival. Thats because the bipartisan House bill is similar to one passed by the Senate last June, which included an earned pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Pelosi said she will sign the petition.

However, Pelosi has expressed her doubts about the chances of success.

Well never get to 218 on the discharge petition, Pelosi told Sirius XM Radios Julie Mason. Because the Republicans generally wont sign, but the fact that it is there and the outside mobilization is saying all we want is a vote.

Despite the doomed reality of the procedure, immigration reform advocates and lawmakers say the pressure is on the Republicans. Earlier this year, House GOP leadership announced a set of principles they intended to use to end gridlock on the issue, only to retract them less than a week later. They cited a trust deficit between the White House and Republican House members as reasons for the continued delay.

But for those on the political right who publicly voiced support for immigration, supporters say this is their time to prove their commitment.

This is their chance to play a role in actually making that happen, said Rocio Saenz, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union. This vote will also tell us exactly what side of the issue each member is on. Are they with the extremists in their caucus who want to block immigration reform at all costs, or are they with the millions of families who are suffering under our broken system?

Even faith-based community organizations are waiting to see where Republicans stand.

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Immigration Reform: House Dems File Discharge Petition Demanding Vote

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama cheered Democrats' efforts to force a vote in the House on an immigration bill over the objections of Speaker John Boehner.

In a statement released Wednesday, the president lent support to a discharge petition circulating in the House of Representatives to bring H.R.15, an immigration overhaul bill that has been languishing in the committee since last October.

"So far, Republicans in the House have refused to allow meaningful immigration reform legislation to even come up for a vote," Obama said. "Thats why, today, I applaud the efforts of Democrats in the House to give immigration reform the yes-or-no vote it deserves."

The effort, led by Democratic Caucus Chair Xavier Becerra of California, has the support of the House's top Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.

H.R. 15, or the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, has 200 sponsors, including three Republicans. And a report released this week by the Congressional Budget Office found the bill, similar to one passed last year by the Senate, would reduce the deficit by $200 billion in 10 years and $900 billion by 2034.

Statement by President Obama supporting the passage of comprehensive immigration reform:

Thats why, today, I applaud the efforts of Democrats in the House to give immigration reform the yes-or-no vote it deserves. Like the Senate bill, the House bill would strengthen our borders, modernize our legal immigration system, and keep more families together. It would make sure everyone plays by the same rules by providing a pathway to earned citizenship for those who are living in the shadows. And according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it would grow our economy and reduce our deficits by $900 billion over the next 20 years.

Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our security, and our future. A vast majority of the American people agree. The only thing standing in the way is the unwillingness of Republicans in Congress to catch up with the rest of the country. And I want to thank the leaders in Congress who are doing their part to move us forward.

More:

Obama backs House Dems' immigration push

Paul Ryan Speaks to Immigration Reform
Fast for Families, a national bus tour to raise awareness about immigration reform, made stops in Wisconsin on Monday, March 17 and Tuesday, March 18 to visi...

By: WisconsinUMC

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Paul Ryan Speaks to Immigration Reform - Video