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Update: In a statement in Dallas following a roundtable discussion on the immigration crisis on the Southwest border, the President called on Congress to authorize some $3.8 billion in funds to address the situation there in the short term: "Congress has the capacity to work with all parties" to address the growing backlog of apprehended undocumented immigrants, he said, adding that Congress should also pass more meaningful immigration reform to prevent another crisis like this from happening in the first place.

"The issue is not that people are evading our enforcement officials. The issue is that we are apprehending them in large numbers," the President said, noting that the large volume of apprehended immigrants is leading to a backup in the immigration system. Exacerbating that problem are the large numbers of unaccompanied minors caught crossing the border illegally. The President added that the "parents [of unaccompanied, undocumented minors] need to know that this is an incredibly situation and it is unlikely that their children will be able to stay."

Obama described his Wednesday meeting with Republican Governor Rick Perry as "constructive," noting that the Texas politician was concerned with the volume and placement of border patrol agents. Obama also met with faith-based groups working to address the crisis, along with local elected officials. "If the Texas delegation is prepared to move," Obama said of his proposal to address the crisis, "we can get this thing done next week."