Washington (CNN) -- Immigration reform entered an uncertain new phase on Wednesday as House Republicans signaled some willingness to compromise with President Barack Obama and Democrats but rejected a Senate-passed bill and insisted they would take their time drafting their own version. Following more than two hours of talks on how to proceed, GOP legislators said the biggest question was whether to give the 11 million immigrants living illegally in the United States a path to eventual citizenship, as provided by the Senate measure. Participants in the Republican caucus meeting described a 50-50 split over the undocumented immigrant issue, with more consensus on the need to produce some kind of legislation to show the party's commitment to fixing a broken system and addressing concerns of Hispanic Americans -- the nation's largest minority demographic.
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NEW: House Republicans argue for and against legal status for undocumented immigrants
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NEW: GOP legislators say work on immigration measures will likely go on for months
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Former President Bush calls for a solution in a rare comment on a political issue
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GOP leaders refuse to hold a vote on a Senate version that passed with bipartisan support
"We understand the contributions immigrants make to our country," said @placeholder, a Republican.