The Los Angeles Times reports that President Obama’s failure to push for a comprehensive immigration reform package may cause Latinos to stay home in the 2010 midterm election cycle. This would be disastrous to the Democrats’ chances at retaining seats, especially in western states like Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, and California.

In President Obama’s defense, a bill with the reforms that many Latinos want just does not seem to be attainable at this juncture; Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) conceded that there were not enough votes in the House to pass the type of reform he advocated. Still, a path to citizenship for some illegals is a must for the majority of Latinos. The failure of the Obama administration to even make it a priority for this year is seen as a slap in the face to a segment of the population which swept President Obama into power not even 18 months ago.

Aiming to revive the immigration reform effort, Gutierrez flew to Los Angeles to headline a town hall meeting Monday evening at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, known as “La Placita,” which has long declared itself a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

With pro-reform banners and chants, hundreds of immigrants and their supporters turned out at the forum, which featured elected officials, labor leaders and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.

The diverse slate of speakers included the Rev. Eric Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who said Latinos and African Americans share a common interest in fighting “slave wages.”

One Korean illegal immigrant described his drive to excel as a graduate of UC Santa Barbara who dreams of contributing to the country as a professor.

And Beck drew cheers and a standing ovation when he declared, “A person’s immigration status alone is not the business of the Los Angeles Police Department.”

Earlier, Gutierrez told The Times that Obama’s failure to push immigration reform was symbolized by his State of the Union address last Wednesday, when he devoted 38 of about 7,300 words to the issue.

The “throwaway line,” Gutierrez said, was the final straw for many activists who have been perturbed by the continued deportations and other enforcement actions without real progress on reform legislation.

Removals of illegal immigrants have increased under the Obama administration. In fiscal 2009, they grew to 387,790 from 291,060 in 2007 under the Bush administration, government data show.

Asked to respond to Gutierrez’s remarks, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler said in a written statement that the administration remained “committed to confronting this problem” through administrative and enforcement tools, along with working with Congress toward a solution.

Immigrant rights groups are focusing their attention on the issue and holding rallies throughout the country in support of immigration reform. It is going to be a tough sell, however, as the economy is still not in a full-swing recovery and unemployment remains in the double-digits. Still, the Latino community remains committed to it’s signature issue.

Photo (via The Los Angeles Times)