In her first major speech on immigration reform since becoming the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano worked to define the Obama administration’s agenda and what has changed since the issue was debated by Congress in 2007.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress in Washington D.C., Napolitano said her department had met with more than 1,000 groups in an effort to find out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to immigration.

“The businesses, community leaders, labor leaders, faith groups and law enforcement we’ve met with all have different stories, but they all reach the same conclusion: we need reform,” Napolitano said.

Apparently, the White House is favoring a “three-legged stool” approach, as it was called during the speech, which includes a “a commitment to serious and effective enforcement, improved legal flows for families and workers, and a firm but fair way to deal with those who are already here.”

As for what has changed since the failed McCain-Kennedy immigration reform bill debated in 2007, Napolitano emphasized the department’s amped up enforcement near the Mexican border—a key part to passing immigration reform according to the Homeland Security chief.

“The immigration debate in 2007 happened during a period of historically high levels of illegal entry into the United States,” said Napolitano. “Because of better enforcement and the current economic circumstances, those numbers have fallen sharply.”