(AP) - President Barack Obama is searching for ways to act without Congress to ease the suffering caused by deportation.

He's yielding to pressure from some of his staunchest allies as his prospects for signing a larger immigration fix fade.

Obama met Thursday in the Oval Office with three Latino lawmakers. The White House says that Obama is directing his homeland security chief to review America's deportation program. The goal is to find more humane ways to enforce the law without violating it.

Obama's announcement was unexpected. He said as recently as last week that when it comes to deportations, he's already stretched his presidential powers to the max.

It's not clear how far Obama will go to ease deportations, or what options are even available without consent from Congress.