“We’re upset,” said Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in an interview. “I don’t know who was advising that this was a smart move to make at the holidays. … Parents are keeping kids home from school, many are not going to work or are afraid to even leave the house to buy groceries. They’re literally tearing apart families.”

The administration, though, has made it clear there will be no immediate slowdown of the operation that resulted in the apprehension of 121 adults and children over last weekend…

The tough move, though, threatens to erode the goodwill that Obama’s executive actions created among the Latino and immigrant community after years of rising deportations under the administration.

Many Democrats view the Central Americans not as immigrants, but refugees, fleeing violence in Honduras and, more recently El Salvador, where gang violence has flared. The two countries have rivaled for having the world’s highest murder rate.