Obama to visit Las Vegas, expected to unveil immigration changes

U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil his executive order aimed at making changes to the country's immigration system on Friday during a trip to Las Vegas, according to media reports.

CNBC, citing sources, said Obama would lay out his immigration plan during the visit. He also could give an outline of the order on Thursday and add details in Las Vegas on Friday, the network said.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the president was traveling to Nevada on Friday but gave no details about the trip.

Under the executive action plan, Obama would ease immigration rules on millions of undocumented immigrants, a source familiar with White House deliberations, has told Reuters.

The order, which will set up a showdown between the White House and Republicans in Congress, would give relief from deportation to millions of undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or of permanent legal residents, according to the source, who asked not to be identified.

It was not yet clear which parents of citizens or permanent residents would be included, the source said, and the Obama administration had been looking at options including those parents who have been living in the United States for five years or 10 years.

The reported trip would come after a top Obama aide is scheduled to meet with Senate Democrats on Thursday. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough, who is likely to be pressed on the immigration issue in the closed-door luncheon.

Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have been urging Obama to move quickly on immigration. Some have pointed to his failure to take executive action on the issue as costing Democrats votes in this month's congressional elections and setting up a Republicans sweep of congressional election earlier this month.

Obama has warned Republicans in Congress that he would act unilaterally if they continue to block comprehensive immigration legislation.

Sources have said Obama is expected to take actions to allow some undocumented people to live here at least temporarily without the threat of deportation and to hold jobs in the United States. Obama's executive order could also include further border security steps, they said.

Obama also is expected to stress that he wants to focus efforts on deportations of illegal residents with serious criminal backgrounds.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott)