U.S. President George W. Bush will deliver a prime-time televised speech next Monday on immigration reform, the White House announced Friday.

Bush would lay out "his comprehensive proposal for immigration reform," Tony Snow, the new White House press secretary, told an informal briefing.

Also next Monday, the Senate is expected to renew debate on an immigration bill that has been stalled for over a month. The bill would give illegal immigrants, estimated at up to 12 million, legal status and a chance to seek citizenship.

Immigration has become a touchy political issue in the United States this year, with Democrats eager to retake control of Congress from Republicans who want to maintain their majority in both the chambers.

The House passed a bill in December last year that called for building a security fence on the U.S.-Mexico border and for making illegal immigration a felony. The bill has since led to widespread protests across the country.

Source: Xinhua