Hundreds of U.S. mayors Sunday gave a standing ovation to the Phoenix mayor who has spoken out against Arizona's new immigration law.

Mayor Phil Gordon told those attending a U.S. Conference of Mayors panel that although he and his family have been the target of threats because of his criticism of the law, he regrets not speaking out earlier and demanding the federal government address immigration reform in the U.S.

He said reform needs to address security at the border, put an emphasis on finding dangerous criminals and eliminate the obstacles to citizenship and residency that cause many to shun the system.

"When a policy says wait 20 years, they can't come here legally,â€