Illegal immigrants picketed the White House Monday afternoon, calling on fellow immigrant-rights advocacy groups to refuse to meet with the Obama administration until President Obama specifically includes illegal immigrants in any future meetings.

“We are among the millions of people who will either benefit or be harmed by the decisions the President makes, and we are here to represent ourselves in any future negotiations,” said Rosi Carrasco, one of organizers, in a statement announcing the action.

Billing themselves “undocumented immigrant leaders,” the organizers said they will erect a picket line to symbolize their demand.

The groups are fighting to keep momentum in the immigration debate, which has seemingly turned against them in recent weeks as Mr. Obama tries to deal with the surge of illegal immigrant children and families across the border.

That has complicated the president’s stated desire to claim executive powers to halt even more deportations for illegal immigrants already in the interior of the U.S.

The immigration advocates had hoped he would halt all or most deportations, but Mr. Obama is under pressure to get tougher on illegal immigration in order to avoid sending the wrong message to Central Americans who are surging across the border, hoping to gain a foothold in the U.S.

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