After nine months of empty promises to help young undocumented immigrants, House Republicans are facing a make-or-break moment on Thursday.

Retiring 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.) will pitch a long-awaited compromise immigration plan to rank-and-file Republicans in the Capitol basement. The meeting is one of the biggest of the Congress for House Republicans, and it could get heated.

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The immigration discussion represents a last-ditch effort to head off a nasty intraparty, election-year clash that leaders have warned could determine whether the GOP keeps control of the House in November.

But it may be too little, too late.

Even some Ryan allies are pouring cold water on the Speaker’s effort to win 218 GOP votes for the compromise legislation. If he fails, some two-dozen centrist Republicans are threatening to buck leadership and move forward with their discharge petition, a move that would trigger a series of contentious immigration votes on the floor five months before the midterm elections.

“I don’t see how we [get] 218 Republicans. I’d love to see it, but I’m just being realistic,” said Rep. Dennis Ross Dennis Alan RossRep. Ross Spano loses Florida GOP primary amid campaign finance scrutiny Israelis and Palestinians must realize that each needs to give, not just take Court opens door to annexing the West Bank — and the consequences could be disastrous MORE (R-Fla.), a senior deputy whip who may sign the immigration petition if the issue remains unresolved.

GOP leaders had originally set aside two hours for Thursday’s “family discussion” on immigration. But in order to give all lawmakers a chance to weigh in, leaders are now saying they will not place a time limit on the 9 a.m. meeting in the Capitol.

Rep. Chris Collins Christopher (Chris) Carl CollinsConspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention NY Republican Chris Jacobs wins special election to replace Chris Collins 5 things to watch in Tuesday's primaries MORE (R-N.Y.) said the meeting will last “however long it takes for the family to come together.”

“It’s going to be a wide-open, open-mic, venting, discussing, problem-solving” session, said Collins, one of the 23 Republicans who have signed the immigration petition.

“It’s going to be very divided. Some people are very angry about this issue being forced on them,” another petition backer, Rep. Mike Coffman Michael (Mike) Howard CoffmanColorado mayor says he called protesters 'domestic terrorists' out of 'frustration' Colorado governor directs officials to reexamine death of Elijah McClain in police custody Petition demanding justice for Elijah McClain surpasses 2 million signatures MORE (R-Colo.), told The Hill. “I think it’s going to be tense.”

Most Republicans who have signed the petition are in competitive races this election year — such as Coffman — or are retiring at the end of this Congress.

Nine months ago, 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 decided to end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Since then, Ryan and his deputies have said they want to get a deal that would address the recipients of that program, often called “Dreamers,” and border security.

On Wednesday, Ryan declined to share any details about his negotiations with conservatives from the House Freedom Caucus and the centrist petition supporters, including Reps. Jeff Denham Jeffrey (Jeff) John DenhamBottom line Bottom line Lobbying world MORE (R-Calif.) and Carlos Curbelo Carlos Luis CurbeloGOP wants more vision, policy from Trump at convention Mucarsel-Powell, Giménez to battle for Florida swing district The Memo: GOP cringes at new Trump race controversy MORE (R-Fla.). But he said he thinks there is a narrow path to a deal.

“I really do believe there’s a sweet spot here,” Ryan told reporters.

As a sign of the urgency surrounding the Republicans’ search for a deal, Stephen Miller, senior adviser to Trump and a well-known immigration hawk, spent parts of Wednesday calling Republican lawmakers to gauge progress and relay the president’s priorities.

Perhaps the most significant disagreement among the clashing Republicans surrounds the question of whether beneficiaries of DACA should be granted a pathway to citizenship under the bill — and how that pathway is defined.

A number of conservatives say they’ll oppose any proposal that offers a “special” pathway, but there remains broad discord about how to define the term. Some argue the process can’t stray from current law, which would require Dreamers to return to their native countries before becoming eligible for citizenship.

“The law is the law,” said Rep. Roger Williams John (Roger) Roger WilliamsThe Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Yoho apologizes for accosting AOC Ocasio-Cortez accosted by GOP lawmaker over remarks: 'That kind of confrontation hasn't ever happened to me' Cook shifts 20 House districts toward Democrats MORE (R-Texas), a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) who endorsed that view.

Another RSC member, Rep. Bradley Byrne Bradley Roberts ByrneBottom line Jerry Carl wins GOP Alabama runoff to replace Rep. Bradley Byrne Jeff Sessions loses comeback bid in Alabama runoff MORE (R-Ala.), described a pathway to citizenship as “a bridge too far,” while Rep. Joe Wilson Addison (Joe) Graves WilsonDemocrats raise alarm about new US human rights priorities Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez defeats Valerie Plame in New Mexico primary Trump campaign launches new fundraising program with House Republicans MORE (R-S.C.) stated: “People violated the law, and I don’t believe they should be rewarded for that.”

Still others contend there’s room to provide eventual citizenship benefits without forcing Dreamers out of the country first.

Rep. Mark Walker Bradley (Mark) Mark WalkerJoe Biden has long forgotten North Carolina: Today's visit is too late Mike Johnson to run for vice chairman of House GOP conference The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Woodward book revelations rock Washington MORE (R-N.C.), who heads the 160-member RSC, said many in the group are open to allowing Dreamers citizenship without having to leave the country — as long as they don’t jump ahead of other applicants.

“That is part of the negotiation,” Walker said.

Freedom Caucus 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.), who has participated in the negotiations, is also opposed to a “special” pathway to citizenship, but said he, too, is open to providing the underlying benefit.

“How DACA recipients end up getting citizenship is the most difficult question we face,” Meadows said. But “it’s not a non-starter.”

The moderate Republicans, meanwhile, are making the citizenship pathway — without any “touchback” stipulation — an underlying condition of their support.

“We are insistent that they be given a bridge into the legal immigration system,” Curbelo said. “We’re going to keep insisting on that.”

One potential area of agreement may be the adoption of a system in which any expansion of benefits to Dreamers, beyond the current DACA population, is matched one-to-one by cuts in legal immigration visas — a type of “pay-as-you-go” rule governing U.S. immigration, in Walker’s description.

Looming over the talks to salvage the DACA program is Trump’s demand that the package combines the Dreamer protections with three other provisions: enhanced border security, including Trump’s wall; new limits on family migration; and the elimination of the diversity visa lottery.

GOP leaders have used that “four pillars” approach as the underlying guide for the subsequent negotiations, and even the moderate Republicans now pressing leadership for DACA votes maintain they’re open to the cuts in legal immigration under Trump’s design.

“The four pillars outline has been the basis of the discussion and the negotiation,” said Curbelo.

Although Ryan indicated last month that any immigration deal must be bipartisan — “It’s clear to us that we’re going to have a bill that’s going to be bipartisan, but one that the president can support,” he said — the new strategy appears designed to win the support of 218 Republicans.

Indeed, cuts to legal immigration would erode the support of virtually all the Democrats, who have repeatedly warned that they’ll oppose any effort to scale back family migration and diversity visas, which benefit as many as 50,000 people each year from countries with low immigration rates.

Curbelo put the odds at “50-50” that Ryan’s proposed deal to defuse the discharge petition is successful. If no agreement is reached Thursday, the moderates say they’re confident that at least two more Republicans would sign the document — enough to hit the magic 218 mark if all Democrats sign it.

All but one of the 193 House Democrats have signed the petition. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents a border district in Texas, wants a commitment from Democratic leadership officials that they won’t support a border wall in exchange for legalizing Dreamers.

Curbelo, however, stopped short of guaranteeing the petition’s success.

“Until they actually sign, we can’t count them,” said Curbelo, who represents a heavily Hispanic South Florida district. “But we’re obviously very close.”