Illegal immigrant earns support of City Council committee to stay
POLITICS | Model UIC student days away from ouster after Jan. traffic stop
After an emotional appeal from a straight-A student facing deportation in 33 days, a City Council committee agreed Friday to champion the cause of Rigo Padilla and others caught in the switches while awaiting immigration reform.
The Human Relations Committee unanimously approved a resolution urging the U.S. Homeland Security Department to stop deportation proceedings against Padilla and all other immigrant students who would be eligible for legal status under the so-called DREAM Act still pending before Congress.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
"I've been here all my life. This is my home. All I have is my education. To be separated from my family, from my friends and from that education would be devastating to me," said Padilla, a 21-year-old University of Illinois at Chicago student who dreams of becoming an attorney.
"Many students are scared and do live in fear that, if they do make a mistake or if they're at the wrong place at the wrong time and are unlucky, this might be them. ... My struggle is their struggle," Padilla said.
On Jan. 18, Padilla was driving home from watching a football playoff game on TV after having a few beers with friends when he was arrested. He was charged with driving under the influence after being accused of rolling through a stop sign.
There was a designated driver that night, but Padilla said he had dropped the friend off before getting behind the wheel for the eight-block drive to his own home.
He was taken to Cook County Jail. When a public defender found out that he was an undocumented immigrant, he was reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The damage was done. Although Padilla was released with an electronic monitoring device and given court supervision for the traffic violation, he was put on the fast track to deportation. That day of reckoning is 33 days away.
"It is a mistake that I made, and I do have to face the reality. I am sorry for it. I'm just hoping and seeking support to stay in this country," said Padilla.
Padilla came to Chicago 15 years ago from Jalisco, Mexico, with his mother and sisters to join his father.
Human Relations Committee Chairman Helen Shiller (46th) responded: "You're referring to a minor traffic violation as a mistake that you made. But you're being punished for something that occurred when you were 6, so I don't think you can be responsible."
Marite Fregoso, a professor who taught Padilla at Harold Washington College, was moved to tears as she talked about her former student's outreach to others and his leadership in campus organizations.
"If citizenship was based on actions, he would be a citizen. He would be citizen of the year. Rigo, to me -- his perseverance, his drive to succeed -- he's my hero," Fregoso said, her voice breaking.
Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) branded Padilla's case a "tragedy" that "reflects how broken our immigration system is." He said that under President Obama, "We have seen more deportations and separation of families than we have seen under Republicans."
"Shame on the Democrats. Shame on this administration. We really need to put the pressure on. Aside from helping the banks [avoid] bankruptcy and reforming health care, immigration reform should be a top priority," Maldonado said.