(Reuters) - Hispanic lawmakers and immigration advocates harshly criticized President Barack Obama's decision to delay executive action on immigration and vowed to keep pressuring him to make bold changes.  Story here. "Latinos Furious at Obama"

GIVENS: The whole immigration paralysis is the fault of the Republicans. Some Democrats are not enthused about this Executive Action. Obama really wants to issue the order. Come a Republican president and/or Senate, it would be withdrawn. The numbers of immigrants affected ranges from about 1 million to 10 million (what's the real number?). Advocacy organizations can complain--it's a free country.

QUESTIONS: Is this protest over-blown and ultimately counter-productive? Moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats are certainly in favor of immigration reform. Some of them think Obama's executive order, Dream Act, encourages illegal immigration. Would it be politicially astute for these advocates, once they finish fund-raising off this, to step back and wait?

Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. 

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