WASHINGTON-(WSJ): President Barack Obama will gather congressional leaders at the White House next month to launch a policy discussion on immigration, according to an administration official, but legislative action isn’t likely until next year at the earliest.

The June 8 meeting is meant to show the White House is moving on the issue — which is key for Hispanic advocacy groups that helped Mr. Obama get elected in November.

The issue remains politically fraught among Americans frustrated by illegal immigration, particularly as the U.S. unemployment rate nears 10%. Unlike some other White House sessions on key issues, this one will be behind closed doors.

White House officials have made clear they don’t expect action on immigration this year. The administration official who discussed the meeting said it was aimed at having “an honest discussion,” and meant to identify points of agreement and “areas where we still have work to do.”

Mr. Obama has embraced the general concept of creating a program to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S., while continuing to tighten the border with Mexico.

The administration official said the White House intended to invite a small bipartisan group of lawmakers from the House and Senate, including party leaders and people who have worked on immigration issues.

“Earlier this year, the president asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to develop principles to help guide congressional action on immigration, one White House official said. But another added that there were no plans to distribute a set of principles at this meeting.

At a briefing with reporters Tuesday, Ms. Napolitano gave few hints about the administration’s tenets for an immigration initiative. But she did say strong enforcement needs to continue, arguing that the government can’t afford to lose “operational control” of its border with Mexico as it did in the 1990s.

Federal data released Wednesday suggest illegal immigration into the U.S. is approaching a low for modern times, a decline analysts have pegged to the recession.

Apprehensions along the border with Mexico are down 27% during the current fiscal year compared with the same period a year ago, even as enforcement efforts have been increased.

If the trend continues, this year’s decline would be steeper than the 24.5% drop in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Write to Laura Meckler at laura.meckler@wsj.com and Cam Simpson at cam.simpson@wsj.com