Hillary Clinton promised to prioritize passing an immigration law overhaul "as quickly as possible" if she wins the presidency this fall.

"We will be prepared to introduce legislation as quickly as we can do so," Clinton said Friday while addressing a conference of Hispanic and African-American journalists. "I am hoping that the outcome of the election ... will send a clear message to our Republican friends that it's time for them to quit standing in the way of immigration reform."

Clinton expressed hope that Democrats would retake the Senate majority and make some gains in the House, victories that she thinks could convince Republicans to stop blocking a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The Democratic nominee noted that the Republican National Committee concluded after the 2012 election that Republicans needed to embrace "comprehensive immigration reform," a version of which passed the Senate and then stalled in the House.

"We have instead a Republican nominee who has been virulently anti-immigrant. but there is nothing like winning to change minds," she said. "I view the politically landscape as increasingly favorable to making this happen."