President Obama delivered his first major speech on immigration Thursday with a call for congressional approval of comprehensive reform. Obama said he hopes to reach a middle ground between granting full amnesty and mass deportations for undocumented immigrants.

President Obama: “Ultimately, our nation, like all nations, has the right and obligation to control its borders and set laws for residency and citizenship. And no matter how decent they are, no matter their reasons, the 11 million who broke these laws should be held accountable. Now, if the majority of Americans are skeptical of a blanket amnesty, they are also skeptical that it is possible to round up and deport 11 million people.”