House Republicans were scrambling Tuesday evening to hammer out an eleventh-hour immigration deal that protects "Dreamers" and averts a potentially damaging partisan fight on a highly divisive issue less than five months before the critical midterm elections.

Leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus brought to their members a new legislative offer from centrist Republicans, but emerged from a closed-door meeting saying they weren’t ready to back the parameters for a deal yet.

Chairman Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November House moves toward spending vote after bipartisan talks House Democrats mull delay on spending bill vote MORE (R-N.C.) said he called GOP leadership and moderates after their caucus meeting to lay out their terms for accepting the proposal. The group wants two separate “rules” that would allow separate votes on a conservative immigration bill from Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.) and the compromise measure that House Republicans have been trying to negotiate.

“Moderates are having discussions on whether that’s an acceptable proposal. So we’ll look to hear back from them hopefully in the next 30 minutes or so,” Meadows told reporters.

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“What we’re talking about right now is how we would facilitate a vote on a bill that would closely resemble the framework that was discussed. If the moderates can agree to the terms I put forth, I can deliver the votes.”

Looming over the debate is the centrists’ procedural threat, known as a discharge petition, to compel action this month on four separate bills propping up the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Those moderates have already gathered 215 signatures on the petition, and maintain they have enough support to hit 218, which would force the DACA bills to the floor.

But time has become a factor. If they reach 218 endorsements by the end of Tuesday, it would force immigration votes on June 25. A failure to win 218 signatures before Wednesday would mean the moderates would have just one more shot, on July 23, to force the issue before November’s midterm elections.

The centrists noted that the floor session would stretch until 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, leaving a small and closing window for any holdouts to endorse their petition.

Immigration negotiations had carried through the weekend and into Tuesday as lawmakers trickled back into town. A group consisting of reform-minded centrists and conservative immigration hawks huddled in the Capitol office of Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.) at 5:30 p.m. in search of an elusive deal that bolsters immigration enforcement and props up the DACA program, which President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE wants to wind down.

Those talks spilled onto the House floor at Tuesday’s evening votes, where Meadows and other Freedom Caucus leaders gathered along the center aisle of the House floor to discuss their next steps. Soon, Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyMcCarthy threatens motion to oust Pelosi if she moves forward with impeachment Kate Schroder in Ohio among Democratic challengers squelching GOP hopes for the House McCarthy's Democratic challenger to launch first TV ad highlighting Air Force service as single mother MORE (R-Calif.) joined the huddle.

McCarthy said he was hopeful a deal could be reached late Tuesday. But he also noted that even if the petition supporters get 218 signatures, there was still time to hammer out a deal in the ensuing days.

“If you have enough signatures on the discharge petition tonight, it still does not mean the discharge petition is going forward,” McCarthy told reporters.

The debate has highlighted the sharp divide within the Republican conference when it comes to immigration issues, particularly the question of how to approach the millions of people living in the country illegally.

Melanie Zanona and Juliegrace Brufke contributed.

Updated at 9:36 p.m.