From: The Examiner.com

About 1,000 immigrants of diverse ethnic backgrounds and a little over one hundred immigration reform advocates packed Our Lady of Angels Church downtown Los Angeles Monday evening where a town hall meeting led by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) took place.

We are not asking the president for something that he didn’t committed himself on doing” said Gutierrez on an earlier meeting with media, union leaders and faith organizations. “Wherever he made an appearance during his political campaign he said ‘in the first year of my administration I am pushing [immigration] reform and I will sign the bill;’ and thereafter, we didn’t hear anything else. Things change, they do, but then we deserve an explanation.”

Gutierrez complained the president avoided the subject and barely mentioned it during his State of the Union address, adding that Obama needs to be specific and set a date to formally start legislation. Furthermore, the Congressman called for a massive rally in Washington D.C. on March 21st, which falls on the last week of Congress activity, before a three week recess.

And let me tell you, if nothing has happened by March 21st, nothing is going to happen in the legislative calendar this year […] He [Obama] has to ask himself who are these people, who are those thousands of people that have gathered together here, in Washington D.C.? […] he has to feel the warmth and love of the people and at the same time; the ‘heat’ that people feels when they’re disappointed, when they’re upset, when they say: ‘you’re not doing what you promised.’”

Participants of the evening rally at “La Placita” in downtown L.A., heard Rep. Gutierrez1 –who is considered the leader of the movement for immigration reform- speak about the importance of refurbishing the broken immigration system, and about strategies to pressure Congress and the White House for a reform bill in 2010. The Congressman also referred to the moral component of legalizing 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. whom are impacted and torn apart by raids and deportation.

Speaking at the podium, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck, drew some cheering when he told the attendees, “a person’s immigration status alone is not the business of the Los Angeles Police Department.”

Also on Monday, the Obama administration delivered to Congress a strategic redefining of Homeland Security’s mission called first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review which lists five missions, backed by 14 specific goals that emphasize on preventing terrorism and enhancing security, particularly against chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological threats; and securing U.S. borders and enforcing the nation’s immigration laws; within others.

With this action, the Obama administration moves one step forward on its announced plan to look into the immigration overhaul –only after- escalating national security strategies and securing the U.S. borders.

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