Thousands of immigration activists demonstrated in over 60 cities across the US on Saturday.

They highlighted record levels of deportations of unlawful migrants under President Barack Obama and called on him to stop them.

While Mr Obama has publicly blamed Republicans for the deadlock in immigration reform, activists insist that he could use his executive authority to halt deportations.

“The president could simply expand the deferred action programme he created for immigrant youth and suspend deportations immediately,” said Latino Advocacy spokeswoman Maru Mora Villalpando.

Activists have pledged an “indefinite presence” at the White House until Mr Obama stops the deportations, according to the National Day Labourer Organising Network, which has played a central role in the campaign.

“The families will remain on President Obama’s front lawn until their loved ones are released and their demands for relief are met,” the group said.

Demonstrations dubbed Two Million Too Many, focus on the date when the Obama administration reached two million deportations.

But hopes are fading for an immigration overhaul this year.

The US is home to nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants and Congress has not passed a legalisation programme since Ronald Reagan’s presidency in 1986.

Migrant advocates say undocumented families who would benefit from an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system cannot wait endlessly for relief.

They are urging Mr Obama to use his authority to stop the suffering inflicted by deportations that tear families apart.

Last month, he announced that he had ordered the new chief of the Department of Homeland Security to review its deportation policy.

And he met leaders of Hispanic and immigrant groups to urge them to keep pressure on Congress.

But that has not placated the Hispanic community, which is key to the Democratic Party’s prospects in November’s mid-term congressional elections.

While Latinos are unlikely to support Republican candidates in large numbers, activists warn that their turnout could be extremely low.

“The President is directly responsible for deportations,” said advocacy group the Bridge Project director Gaby Pacheco.

“We are telling him ‘you are standing with the community or not.’ Don’t take us for granted’.”