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Four Senate Democratic leaders told reporters on Thursday they want House Speaker John Boehner,...

Democrats have a new message for House Republicans who have been reluctant to take up a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year: Pass a bill in six weeks, or watch the White House take action on its own.

Four Senate Democratic leaders told reporters on Thursday they want House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to bring legislation to the floor before the August break, or else President Obama would begin taking executive action on immigration issues.

Here is the bottom line, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. They have about a six-week window, from June 10 after the last Republican primary till the August recess. If they don't pass immigration reform then, the president will have no choice but to act on his own.

Democrats said they would not accept piecemeal legislation, either, despite Boehners promise to take up immigration reform in increments.

We are not going to go along with minor fixes that fail to address the huge systematic problems of our immigration system today, Schumer said.

Boehner has refused to take up immigration legislation, citing a lack of trust in Obama, who has used his executive authority to circumvent Congress and in particular Republicans who oppose his ideas.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he'd cut a deal with Boehner so that immigration reform legislation would not be enacted until a new president took office in 2017.

Delaying implementation of immigration reform is not my preference, but I feel so strongly this bill needs to get done, I am willing to show flexibility, Reid said.

Obama has already signaled he intends to take executive action on immigration issues. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is currently re-evaluating the department's deportation policies, in part because of pressure from Latinos over the separation of families.

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Democrats threaten John Boehner on immigration reform