Despite the Democratic majority in Congress and President Bush's unusually personal appeal seeking compromise on Tuesday, the long-sought-after immigration-reform bill that has been Bush's priority for much of the past year appears to be on the verge of collapse.

The bill originally fell apart last fall just before the midterm elections, then it was revived thanks to the new Democratic leadership in the House and Senate. But now the bill that could pave the way for millions of illegal immigrants' eventual citizenship is in limbo again.

"It's a highly emotional issue," Bush said Tuesday after a session with members of Congress. During that meeting, several lawmakers told the president point blank that their constituents do not trust the government to secure the nation's borders or weed out illegal workers at job sites, according to The Associated Press. In a scramble to save the bill, Bush said he was open to a $15 billion emergency spending bill that would emphasize the administration's commitment to stronger border enforcement.

"We've got to convince the American people that this bill is the best way to enforce our border," Bush said. "I believe without the bill that it's going to be harder to enforce the border." It was only the second time in his presidency that Bush attended one of the weekly closed-door lunches, a sign of his eagerness to see the legislation pass. But his 30 percent approval ratings are making it hard for him to sway even his own party.

"At the end of the day, I've got to be able to sit down and know myself that we are going to secure our border," said Republican Senator Bob Corker, considered a possible convert to the legislation. "Today, I do not feel that way."

The Homeland Security Administration carried out a series of high-profile raids and workplace sweeps in late 2006 and early 2007 as a means of showing its commitment to border and workplace enforcement, which does not appear to have swayed majority GOP opinion on the bill.

Republican Mel Martinez, who supports the legislation, said he didn't think Bush's visit did much to change minds, though it could have helped nudge a few of the "people on the fence" to be more inclined to vote in favor of the reforms. The primary sticking point for many Republicans is a feeling that the bill provides amnesty for the roughly 12 million people now in the country illegally.

Democratic leaders have put the pressure and spotlight on Republicans to come to the table, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid telling reporters that it's now up to Bush and the Republicans to produce enough votes to revive the measure that was knocked off course in the Senate last week. "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together," Reid said, according to AP. In addition to the Republicans blocking the bill, though, 11 Democrats voted against the bill going forward in the Senate.

Despite the impasse, both sides hope to keep working on an agreement that would smooth the bill's way to passage before July. Among the Republican-sponsored amendments being considered is one that would require all illegal-immigrant heads of household seeking permanent legal residency to return to their countries of origin before obtaining legal status. Republicans are also looking to shore the bill up with more funding for border security, more stringent workplace enforcement and harsher penalties for immigrants who overstay their visas or re-enter the country illegally.

"What you have now is members of Congress who are opposed to immigration reform putting as many amendments as possible up mostly just to delay a vote, fracture the coalition and hope that the bill dies," said Douglas Rivlin, communications director for the National Immigration Forum. "So that they can later turn the vote into a 30-second campaign ad attacking someone for not voting to deport everyone with a gang tattoo, which is not an amendment, but is close to some of the things that are being thrown up there."

Despite the deep differences, Rivlin said he thinks a compromise is possible and that it could come before the July 4 break. "It will take the Republicans making it clear to Harry Reid that if he is Charlie Brown and the Republicans are Lucy holding the football, the next time Reid comes up to kick immigration though the goalposts, the Republicans won't pull the ball away," Rivlin said. "There need to be assurances from the Republican leadership about what their bottom line is, which I think Democrats will agree to because they're fairly sure they can beat back the worst amendments from a pro-immigration standpoint."