What Does 'Pathway to Citizenship' Mean in Immigration Reform?

The immigration reform debate over the past few months has led to various interpretations of what constitutees a pathway to citizenship, especially for undocumented immigrants living in the country now.
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/pathway-citizenship-immigration-reform/story?id=18765736

G.O.P. Opposition to Immigration Law Is Falling Away
WASHINGTON — Republican opposition to legalizing the status of millions of illegal immigrants is crumbling in the nation’s capital as leading lawmakers in the party scramble to halt eroding support among Hispanic voters — a shift that is providing strong momentum for an overhaul of immigration laws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/us/politics/gop-opposition-to-immigration-law-is-falling-away.html?pagewanted=all

Administration Official Defends Release of Detainees


Under fierce questioning from Republicans at a hearing in the House of Representatives, the top Obama administration official in charge of immigration enforcement insisted Tuesday that the release of more than 2,200 immigrants from detention in February was solely a budgetary savings measure, and he disputed accusations that they had included many dangerous criminals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/us/immigration-official-defends-release-of-detainees.html?_r=0