Police have arrested at least eight US House of Representatives Democratic members after they blocked a main street near the Capitol during a massive rally on immigration reform.

Around 200 people were arrested at the rally on Tuesday. Police would not identify those arrested, but social policy organisation Centre for Community Change witnessed the arrests of Reps John Lewis, Luis Gutierrez, Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, Joseph Crowley, Charles Rangel, Al Green and Jan Schakowsky.

Representatives of the United Farm Workers union and campaigning group Farmworker Justice confirmed that several of their members had been arrested as well.

Those arrested would be charged with "crowding, obstructing and incommoding" the Capitol Police said.

Before being arrested, Mr Gutierrez said that he planned the act of civil disobedience "so the speaker of the House can free Congress and finally pass immigration reform."

The rally took place after six-time Grammy winners Los Tigres del Norte performed at the National Mall during a show in which the Mexican band dedicated each song to the estimated 11 million immigrants who are living in the US illegally.

Prospects for the passage of a comprehensive Immigration Bill appear to be slight.

A bipartisan Bill passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate and backed by the White House includes billions of dollars for border security as well as a 13-year path to citizenship for those already in the US illegally.

But it's unclear whether the Republican-dominated House of Representatives will ever accept legislation that could form the basis for a final deal with the Senate.

Most House Republicans have rejected any comprehensive approach and the House judiciary committee has moved forward with individual, single-issue immigration Bills that could come to the floor sometime later this year or next.

Citing the demonstration, the White House issued a statement calling on the House to take up the Immigration Bill.

"The enthusiastic demonstration of support for immigration reform this week has proven to Congress that the broad coalition behind commonsense solutions to our nation's broken immigration laws is strong as it has ever been," said press secretary Jay Carney.