need to address this in a bipartisan way," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters at the White House. "It cannot only be done by Democrats. The Republicans need to come to the table."

But mindful of the political climate, administration officials set no timetable for breaking the deadlock.

Obama has called for comprehensive reform that includes not only better border security but also a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. Republican critics support a tighter border but say citizenship proposals would amount to an amnesty for lawbreakers.

"If the president takes amnesty off the table and makes a real commitment to border and interior security, he will find strong bipartisan support," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement.

Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said he hoped the bills passage would help break the stalemate over broader immigration reform. Obama, in a statement issued on Thursday, said he wanted to continue working toward that goal.

There are believed to be about 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. But immigrants rights advocates say Republicans have inflated concerns about illegal immigrants in order to put Democrats on the defensive ahead of the November 2 congressional elections.

With the measures passage, members of Congress running for re-election will be able to spend the next several weeks boasting that they acted to reinforce the border.

Officials in southwestern states have asked for more help from the federal government to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, weapons and narcotics. Obama already has ordered more National Guard troops to the border for a year.

A federal judge last month blocked key parts of an Arizona law that sought to drive illegal immigrants out of the state, handing a victory to the Obama administration, ...