The group led by Senator Schumer from New York, announced sweeping reforms of the immigration system that they want to see enacted by late spring or summer this year. 

The plan which would give some 12 million undocumented immigrants a legal way to permanent residence and a shot at citizenship for all immigrants who came to the US as children, but also tighten border security, must be approved by both Senate and House of Representatives.

Observers believe the consensu is due to recent humiliating loses for Republicans in the November 2012 elections.

The plan will also to track departures from the US of visitors on tourist, student and other temporary visas. President Obama who won with 75% of the Hispanic vote will announce his own blueprint on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

However, some stalwarts within the Republican party denounced the plan as, an "amnesty" for lawbreakers and have vowed to stop it from becoming law. All previous attempts to overhaul the immigration system between 2006 and 2007 never made it through the Senate.