Taoiseach Bertie Ahern held talks last night in Washington with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform before meetings on Capitol Hill today at which he will press the case of Irish illegals living in the US.
Mr Ahern said yesterday he would put the case for the illegal Irish "very forcefully" to both President Bush and members of Congress.
He will meet with senators who are trying to ensure that reforms of US immigration law will allow some 25,000-50,000 Irish currently living illegally there to have the prospect of regularising their situation and continuing to make their lives there.
He met the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform at the Irish Ambassador's residence before the traditional St Patrick's week reception last night.
Today Mr Ahern will meet senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy, whose immigration bill would allow the Irish remain in the US and ultimately have the possibility of gaining residency.
Mr Ahern said the Government had backed the Kennedy/McCain bill since its introduction. However, he acknowledged it might now have to be "married" with other proposals that have come from Republicans.
Many US senators oppose anything that would seem like an amnesty for any of the estimated 11 million illegals of all nationalities living in the US.
New security measures introduced since the September 11th attacks make it impossible for people to renew driving licences, change jobs or leave the country and return without having genuine social security numbers - something illegals do not have.
Republicans recently introduced an alternative to the Kennedy/McCain bill which would introduce a guest-worker system. Illegals could avail of this but would have to return home after six years.
"It is very contentious," Mr Ahern said yesterday. "We will work with senators Kennedy and McCain. We are totally supportive of their efforts.
"It is my job to explain that these people are being harassed; they can't go home to weddings and funerals, they can't go home to see their elderly relatives. They are fearful. The president understands this and many others do."
He said the US problem was not with the relatively small number of Irish but with the total 11 million illegals of all nationalities believed to be in the US.
This morning the Taoiseach will meet the Friends of Ireland Group, chaired by Congressman Jim Walsh. He will later meet Senator Kennedy and Senator Chris Dodd, and have separate talks with Senator McCain, Senator Hilary Clinton and Senator Patrick Leahy. He will also attend the annual Speaker's Lunch, hosted by the speaker of the House of Representatives Congressman Denis Hastert.
In the afternoon he will meet the Ireland-US Economic Advisory Board, before attending the annual American-Ireland Fund National Gala dinner.
Tomorrow, St Patrick's Day, he will meet Mr Bush in the White House for the annual presentation of a bowl of shamrock.