McCain: De facto amnesty is already here

A bipartisan group of US senators has unveiled a bill for sweeping reform of the immigration system this year.

Arizona Republican John McCain, who joined with seven other senators, said at a Monday press conference that the current immigration system had created "de facto amnesty".

"We, the American people, have been too content for too long to allow individuals to mow our lawn, serve us food, clean our homes and even watch our children while not affording them any of the benefits that make our country so great," he said.

Many lawmakers in Congress denounce a path to legalisation for undocumented immigrants as an "amnesty" for lawbreakers.