June 19 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said he’s committed to an overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, yet said it probably won’t happen this year.

“I’m committed to passing immigration reform as president of the United States,” Obama said at a Hispanic prayer breakfast in Washington today.

“The American people believe in immigration,” he said. Still, “we must clarify the status of millions who are here illegally.”

Obama didn’t offer any schedule for seeking changes in immigration laws. The effort has so far taken a back seat to other goals, including a health-care overhaul, carrying out a $787 billion stimulus spending package, financial regulation changes, climate-change legislation and a Supreme Court confirmation.

White House officials plan to meet next week with lawmakers from the House and Senate to begin discussions on an overhaul of immigration laws, said an aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

White House senior adviser David Axelrod, in an interview in April, said the administration is “committed to beginning that discussion this year. Whether we complete that this year is another question.”

While Americans support immigration, Axelrod said, they don’t want people entering illegally. “Nor can we tolerate employers who exploit undocumented workers in order to drive down wages,” he said.

Removing Incentives

There are about 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. The administration says it wants to remove incentives to enter illegally, while increasing border security and working with Mexico to reduce the flow of illegal immigration.

In his remarks today, Obama said the U.S. must clarify the status of millions of people who are here illegally, and said illegal immigrants should be required to pay a penalty, pay back taxes, learn English, and “go to the back of the line, behind those who played by the rules.”

“That is the fair, practical and promising way forward,” he said. “And that’s what I’m committed to passing” as president, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 19, 2009 11:05 EDT