A project of the Center for Community Change

Youth

Senator Durbin: change takes courage – just ask immigrant youth!

Posted by Rachel L. on March 9, 2010

Tomorrow, in Chicago, hundreds of immigrant youth will meet in Union Park to for a National “Coming Out” Day (part of National Coming out week led by the United We Dream Coalition).  Led by the Immigrant Youth Justice League, in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, tomorrow’s action is aimed at pressuring Senator Dick Durbin to show active leadership in passing comprehensive immigration reform and the Dream Act.

From the IYJL site:

This action is a call for leadership from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who has worked for and promised the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform for years. Now, as the Senate’s second-ranking leader, he is in a position to deliver. As our senator, and a long-time supporter of immigrant youth, we need him to lead on the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform this year.

“We cannot wait any more. Not while our parents are getting deported and our youth’s dreams fall apart due to an obsolete immigration system that has failed us and the country. I have supported Senator Durbin and President Obama, and now we need them to act. This country cannot wait anymore, we will not wait any longer,” said Ireri, IYJL member.

While the White House has delayed yet another meeting on immigration reform, the grassroots movement for immigrant rights is growing restless and impatient. Yesterday, this was tweeted from the IYJL twitter account:

When u are forever fighting a degenerating sense of “nobodiness” then u will understand why we find it difficult 2 wait.

For lawmakers, and even for some advocates, this issue is simply political: the “right” time, the “right” climate, the number of votes, the mid-term elections. But for youth who are stuck in the shadows of a country that is failing to recognize them as full people, there is no right time and there is no right climate: it’s now or nothing.

So, Senator Durbin, the immigrant youth of this movement understand that change takes courage. They are risking everything to come out and stand up for justice. Will you show this same courage and lead?

Tell Senator Durbin that change takes courage>>

Photos courtesy of ICIRR and IYJL.

Rigo Padilla’s Deportation Halted!

Posted by Rachel L. on December 10, 2009

From the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights blog.

Today, December 10th, we got some great news. Rigo Padilla’s deportation has been deferred.

This victory is due to the unified support for Rigo by Chicago municipal, state, and federal elected officials; the University of Illinois at Chicago community; youth, immigrant advocates, community and faith leaders. People across the Presidents hometown of Chicago and from around the country lifted their voices to end this senseless deportation and move towards just and humane immigration reform.

The campaign to stop Rigo’s deportation exemplifies two things. Our immigration system is broken and that we have the power to fix it.

It is important to remember that Rigo is just one of many trapped by our broken immigration system with no path to legalization. The case of Rigo Padilla illustrates what is wrong with current immigration laws. Deportations have increased by 18% under the Obama administration. Most deportations are for minor immigration violations without regard for the circumstances surrounding each case. Lack of discretion has led to senseless deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have been contributing members of this society: people who work, pay taxes, and own homes.

Most appalling are the deportations of young people who have lived a significant portion of the lives in the United States. Rigo is such an example. He was brought to Chicago by his parents at age 6, and has lived in Chicago for the past 15 years. During this time, Rigo has been deeply involved in the community, volunteering, studying, working and in general making Chicago a better place.

“The case of Rigo Padilla shows why we need to reform current immigration laws and implement a path through which immigrants like Rigo can earn their legal status,” said Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). “The U.S. is on pace to deport more than 400,000 immigrants this year. Families are destroyed, the labor market is churned, homes are foreclosed, and communities are damaged. We cannot fix the broken immigration system in a case by case basis. We will continue to push for comprehensive solutions that will end family separation and will provide a path to citizenship for those that work hard and contribute to this country.”

View ICIRR’s statement here.

Representative Luis Gutierrez will be introducing an immigration reform bill in the house later this month, with a bill most likely being introduced into the Senate shortly after that.

Everyone knows that our immigration system is broken. Now is the time to fix it. Join us in the national campaign to Reform Immigration for America.

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One step closer to stopping Rigo’s deportation

Posted by Rachel L. on December 4, 2009

Originally posted at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights blog.

Today, December 4th, elected officials including U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), State Representative Greg Harris (D-13) and Chicago Alderman George Cardenas (12th ward) joined more than two hundred high school and college students, immigrant advocates, and college professors to rally for an immediate stop to the deportation of Rigo Padilla, a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago scheduled for deportation on December 16.

It was a spirited rally to call for just and humane immigration reform and to urge a halt on Rigo Padilla’s deportation. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky announced that yesterday she had filed a private bill, HR 4212, asking that Rigo Padilla be granted legal permanent resident status.

Father Mike Shanahan closed the rally announcing an action of civil disobedience in front of the Federal Building on the Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) if the Obama administration proceeds with Rigo’s deportation.

Rigo exemplifies what is wrong with the immigration system and the need to stop senseless deportations. Under Obama administration, deportations have increased 18%. Unfortunately Rigo is one of millions of good people that contribute to this country but nevertheless are in risk of deportation.

Following the rally, participants marched to the Federal Building while holding signs, American flags, and chanting “Our Youth, Our Nation, No more senseless Deportations”. A delegation presented copies of a petition, signed by more than 880 faculty members from colleges and universities across Illinois and the nation, to the staff of Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Roland Burris, asking that Rigo Padilla’s deportation be deferred.

Finally, today Congressman Mike Quigley added his support to that of Congressmen Schakowsky, Rush, Gutierrez, and Davis in asking that the deportation of Rigo Padilla be deferred.

But the fight isn’t over. Please help us reach our goal of sending 25,000 faxes to Secretary Napolitano, ICE Director John Morton, Senator Durbin, and Senator Burris. All of whom have the power to stop Rigo’s deportation.

Click here to send a free fax!

You can also help by sharing Rigo’s story with your family and friends and joining the cause on Facebook.

Progress Illinois has a great post about the event with video below:

View more photos of the rally below:

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