WASHINGTON— It’s not often you’ll hear a Democrat say there should be more Republicans like Paul Ryan in the House.

But that’s exactly what liberal Chicago Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., thinks Ryan, R-Wis., — best known for his budget that Democrats love to hate and his role as Mitt Romney’s running mate — is a key ally of Gutierrez’s on immigration reform. And in the fierce legislative battle that has come to consume that issue on the Hill, their unlikely partnership could be crucial to getting an immigration deal done in the deeply polarized House.

Their odd-couple friendship began years ago in the House gym, where early morning workouts inevitably turn into locker room conversations about policy. Gutierrez says he isn’t part of the cadre of lawmakers who faithfully work out with Ryan, but years of early morning run-ins have fostered a relationship of trust — and a degree of mutual admiration — between the two men.

Read the article “Paul Ryan’s Unlikely Friendship and Immigration Amnesty” on buzzfeed.com.