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Predicting little progress on immigration reform in the next Congress, some of the nation's top advocates say they're shifting gears to focus on defending President Obama's new deportation policy from GOP attacks.

"We're not looking to Congress for relief in the next two years," Frank Sharry, head of America's Voice, an advocacy group, said Thursday during a breakfast at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington. "We're looking to defend the win that we've had, and to set the stage to expand on that win."

But Obama and the Democrats are largely opposed to that strategy for fear that passing the popular provisions as stand-alone bills would doom the more controversial elements, particularly the legalization and citizenship benefits for millions of immigrants living in the country illegally.

What we dont want to do is simply carve out one piece of it ... but leave behind some of the tougher stuff that still needs to get done, Obama said last year.

That partisan conflict, the liberal advocates say, sets the stage for yet another two-year impasse on the thorny issue of reform policy.

"I don't think that there's any chance of comprehensive immigration reform this Congress," said Marshall Fitz, an immigration expert at the liberal Center for American Progress.

With those dynamics in mind, liberal reform advocates say their focus is shifting to the implementation and defense of Obama's new deportation policy, rather than expectations of bold congressional action.

"That's going to be the movement's priority. It is in the interest of our community to make this program a success," said Cristina Jimenez, managing director of United We Dream, another group pushing for comprehensive reform.

"Republicans have a self-interest, politically, to work on it [comprehensive reform]," she added. "We just don't see how they get their party together to actually provide a viable solution."

In the absence of congressional action, Obama last month adopted new rules that will halt deportations and grant work permits to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants. The move outraged Republicans, who are searching for legislative ways to dismantle the program.

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Immigration advocates shift to defense