Immigration groups urge John Boehner to pass legalization before he goes

Immigrant-rights advocates scrambled Friday to plead with House Speaker John A. Boehner to bring an immigration legalization bill to the floor before he leaves office next month, fearing his replacement will show even more antipathy toward their agenda.

Mr. Boehner had long been pressing his party to tackle immigration, and in the days after President Obama’s 2012 re-election the Ohio Republican set one major goal: The House would pass a bill to legalize those in the country without authorization.

But House GOP conservatives threatened a revolt, and Mr. Boehner and his fellow leaders backed off, instead blaming President Obama for ruining chances for cooperation.

Now that he’s unshackled by the need to keep his own troops in line, immigration advocates said Mr. Boehner should try again, relying on Democrats to deliver the votes to pass a