Eight months ago, in a widely discussed editorial, two of America’s leading Spanish-language newspapers — California’s La Opinión and New York’s El Diario La Prensa — hammered President Obama over immigration.

“Obama recently called himself the ‘champion-in-chief’ on immigration reform — a title that, without legislative approval of reform, only reflects the impotence of what he was unable to achieve,” the partner newspapers said in a joint editorial. “Reality rules the day, like the fact that his administration has carried out record numbers of deportations.

“Obama has an opportunity to change this path and do the right thing.”

On Thursday, Obama outlined a plan to provide administrative relief and work permits to as many as 3.7 million undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, as well as an additional 300,000 young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

Reaction from La Opinión and El Diario was mixed. On the front page, both papers declared “Sí se pudo” (yes we could), and added: “Thank you, Mr. President! Keep it up!”

“This is a positive, although incomplete measure,” it says.

“This action is a temporary fix for a situation that requires broader and more permanent changes which can only be achieved through the legal process – with a comprehensive immigration reform. Otherwise, the measure will either expire or have to be extended every two years by whoever sits at the White House.

“For this reason, the action’s reach is limited, and leaves behind millions of people who could have been benefited. But at least millions of families won’t have to fear deportation for a while, and they won’t be separated.”

The editorial calls on congressional Republicans to act: “Instead of complaining about Democrats posturing to court Latino votes, Republicans have a unique opportunity to compete for the same electorate with a reform.”

You can read the full editorial here (or here, if you prefer to read in Spanish).