CHICAGO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Seven congressmen from the U.S. state of Illinois are urging President Barack Obama to lead a push for overhauling the nation's immigration laws, news reports said Monday.

    In June, Obama said he is committed to passing comprehensive reform of the country's immigration laws.

    According to a Chicago Tribune report, a letter signed by the seven Illinois Democrats increases pressure on the president to follow through. The letter says the overhaul should lay a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants.

    The signers include Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago, who says the nation's economic recession should not push immigrant rights to the back burner.

    President Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel labeled immigration reform the new third rail of American politics and warned fellow Democrats to focus on border enforcement.

    He and other White House officials say a comprehensive bill would have little chance of passing this year.