Obama celebrates Independence with migrants call

President Barack Obama used an Independence Day ceremony in which immigrants serving in the US military became citizens to renew his election-year call for new immigration laws popular with an important part of his political base.

Wearing a red tie to celebrate the Jul 4 holiday at the White House, Obama addressed about two dozen foreign-born military personnel who were taking advantage of a programme that offers them citizenship in return for their service.

Obama, who is running for re-election in November, seized the opportunity to talk up his recent order lifting the threat of deportation for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the US as children.