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Washington (CNN) -- Big Business isn't embracing President Barack Obama's decision to reform the immigration system by executive order, but the community's top lobbyists aren't joining Republicans in slamming Obama's announcement, either.

They just want the President and Congress to move forward on a permanent solution to fix a broken immigration system -- which they say can only happen through legislation.

Three top groups, which have descended on Capitol Hill to argue the economic benefits of an immigration overhaul, said arguments on the President's authority to shield millions from deportation should take a back seat to passing legislation in the next Congress.

Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said that while Obama's executive actions "raise important legal and constitutional questions," Congress and the President should press ahead toward the goal of achieving bipartisan legislation.

"The debate over the president's announcement must not be allowed to forestall progress on critical priorities," Donohue said in a statement. "We call upon the president and lawmakers of both parties to enact common sense measures to provide the American economy with the workers it needs at all skill levels, while better securing our borders and dealing with undocumented immigrants."

The Chamber of Commerce and other business groups joined in an unlikely coalition last year with labor groups to urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform -- a partnership that has helped immigration advocates make headway in Congress.

Business Roundtable Senior Director Matt Sonnesyn, who leads the group's work to achieve immigration reform, said he was hopeful congressional Republicans could move past Obama's executive action and toward bipartisan legislation by the spring.

But Sonnesyn said Obama's decision to act unilaterally "certainly doesn't help us get to a solution" and said even after Obama's executive orders kick in, "our immigration system will still be broken."

"Certainly what the President did last night isn't going to make it easier for everyone to come together to fix immigration," Sonnesyn said. "After some of the initial emotion dials down from what's happened here, we'll all be able to look at this constructively."

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Big-business lobbyists want Obama to work on immigration