The Hispanic Caucus has yet to formalize the resolution, but an earlier draft obtained by POLITICO calls on Obama to use “all legal means” to suspend, delay or stop deportations of immigrants if the removal would “have an adverse impact on the United States.”

After days of debate, however, lawmakers toughened up the language.

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Pressure began to build on Obama to do something about deportations — which activists say will number 2 million by early April — when a heckler interrupted the president at an event in San Francisco in November. Since then, pressure to stop deportations went mainstream within the Latino community, with the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Latino group, dubbing Obama the “deporter-in-chief” last week.

That was followed by three key Democratic members of the Gang of Eight that negotiated the Senate immigration deal — Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Robert Menendez of New Jersey — calling for Obama to do something to slow the pace of deportations.

Opponents of unilateral action on deportations have argued it would hurt chances of passing immigration legislation in the House. The president told the three House Democrats Thursday of his “strong desire to work together” to pressure Republican House members on Capitol Hill to pass comprehensive immigration reform. But action there has been moving at a snail’s pace to begin with, and will be complicated by the fact that it’s an election year.

Activists who have been working longest on the deportation issue cautiously welcomed the move.

“Review can not be an excuse for delay,” said Chris Newman, the legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “The president has the legal authority and moral obligation to change his deportation policy, and every day he waits will be a blemish on his legacy.”

Newman’s organization is organizing a series of nationwide rallies in early April to pressure Democrats who have not condemned Obama’s deportation policies.

Cesar Vargas of the Dream Action Coalition said that “immediate actions will speak louder than press releases.”

Vargas, who has been discussing the CHC resolution with lawmakers, said Thursday that the new version was “absolutely” stronger than the previous draft.

“The CHC is truly our allies,” Vargas said. “We need to see allies, not followers.”

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said the Hispanic Caucus is taking up the issue because it is “responding to a community issue.”

“We’re responding to inertia on the part of Republicans to do nothing as the situation continues to worsen, and look to the administration as the last option for relief,” Grijalva said.

The full 26-member CHC had been poised to vote on whether to approve the resolution earlier Thursday, but that was delayed until after the White House meeting.

John Bresnahan contributed to this report.