Democratic lawmakers are considering taking up a seldom-used tactic called a discharge petition to begin movement on immigration reform in the House of Representatives.

On Friday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said that House Democrats intend to use the petition, and the idea has been supported by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who was the top Democratic negotiator on the bipartisan commission that passed the immigration reform bill in the Senate last June.

However, Hoyer said the petition would have a hard time getting the 218 signatures needed to discharge the legislation from committee and allow Democrats to bring it to the House floor. The petition would need the signatures of 15 to 19 House Republicans, assuming all 199 House Democrats sign the petition, Arizona Central reports.

So far, only three Republicans have supported the Democratic House immigration bill, which is the same as the Senate-passed comprehensive reform legislation with less strict border security stipulations.

"The problem with a discharge petition ... is it borders on treason to sign a discharge petition that the other party puts forward," Hoyer said during a meeting with The Arizona Republic. "Why? Because a discharge petition turns control over the issue to the minority party."

But, he said presenting a discharge petition would put more pressure on the House Republicans who have said they support reform.

"Now, some of them will sign the discharge petition, but probably short of 218," Hoyer said. "The closer they get to 218, the more pressure people will be under."

The discharge petition tactic is the latest response to put pressure on House Republicans since House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said on Feb. 6 that immigration legislation is unlikely to move forward in 2014. Boehner attributed Republican intransigence to their skepticism that President Obama will actually enforce immigration laws.

Many immigration rights advocates have also been urging President Obama to unilaterally stop deportations of undocumented immigrants who have not committed crimes so they could gain a pathway to citizenship.

Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, both pro-reform Arizona Republicans who helped write the Senate reform bill, dismissed the House discharge petition as a possible option.

"I neither support it nor oppose it - it's not going to happen," McCain said Friday. "Frankly, I don't think it's helpful."

Flake also said he doubts most House Republicans would risk alienating Boehner and other GOP House leaders to support the Democratic bill.