WASHINGTON - President Obama defended his deportation policies and said Republicans remain an obstacle to overhauling the immigration system to give undocumented immigrants a pathway to legal status.

Speaking to a conference of Latino leaders on Monday, Obama said that he and fellow Democrats are working to enact laws that would resolve the status of some 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

But Republicans have been a stubborn barrier, he said.

Obama's comments seemed aimed at defusing criticism that he has not done enough to change the nation's immigration laws, a source of rising Latino anger. When he ran for office in 2008, Obama said he would deal with the issue in his first year. But that promise was deferred while the health-care overhaul got top priority and at this point, it's doubtful he can pass a bill until after the 2012 elections.

Blaming GOP intransigence for the lack of action, Obama said, "I need a dance partner here - and the floor is empty."

He added, "So, yes, feel free to keep the heat on me and keep the heat on Dem-ocrats. But here's the only thing you should know. The Democrats and your president are with you. ... Remember who it is that we need to move in order to actually change the laws."

In the absence of new legislation, some congressional Democrats are urging the president to retool deportation policies using executive authority.

Obama addressed the controversy at the conference, which was sponsored by the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group.

"Now, I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the laws on my own," he said.

At that, the audience began chanting, "Yes you can!" a twist on Obama's 2008 campaign slogan.

"Believe me - believe me, the idea of doing things on my own is very tempting, I promise you. Not just on immigration reform," said the president, who has also been urged to raise the debt ceiling on his own if Congress fails to act.

"But that's not how our system works," he said.

Conference leaders said they sent invitations to Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty and got no answer or were turned down.