WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama said on Thursday that he wants to 'recognise and legalise' undocumented immigrants in the United States.

'We need an effective way to recognise and legalise the status of undocumented people,' Mr Obama said after a White House meeting with lawmakers.

He announced that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano would join congressional leaders to form a working group on immigration reform which would work on concrete proposals to 'secure our borders' and offer the millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States a chance to obtain legal status.

But, after meeting with a bipartisan group of about 30 lawmakers, Mr Obama acknowledged differences between members of Congress on how to best address immigration reform.

'There is not by any means consensus across the table,' said Mr Obama, who described immigration reform as a 'sensitive and politically violatile issue.' But he said he was nonetheless encouraged by the tone of the meeting, and hopeful that reform was possible.

'The consensus is that, despite our inability to get this passed over the last several years, the American people still want to see a solution,' the president said.

Mr Obama also announced plans to improve the technological capabilities of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Office.

There are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, the vast majority of Hispanic origin.

Attempts to pass immigration reform failed in Congress in 2006 and 2007.

Mr Obama, who received key support from Hispanic voters, has pledged to take up the issue once again and said he supports a path to legal status with strict conditions. -- AFP