Leaders push to stay student's deportation; Can a Dreamer overcome a mistake?

August 24, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A Chicago college student is about to be deported to Mexico, a country he hasn't seen since he was a young child.

Some local leaders are making a big push to stay Rigoberto Padilla's deportation and they are getting a lot of support from the community.

The pace of detention and deportation has accelerated over the past few years. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has stated that during the past fiscal year, immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) deported 357,000 immigrants, which is a 50-percent jump from three years before. Many have U.S citizen spouses or children.

Padilla, 21, is an undocumented Chicago resident who came to this country with his parents from Mexico when he was six years old.

Last January Rigoberto Padilla was arrested for a misdemeanor traffic violation five minutes from his home and taken to Cook County Jail where his public defender reported him to immigration authorities. Padilla is now facing deportation on December 16.

"I did make that one mistake. It was a misdemeanor. I blew a stop sign. I don't want that to determine the rest of my life. I don't want to have my career stopped and not become an attorney," said Padilla.

Padilla, graduated from high school with a 3.5 GPA and attended Harold Washington College. He is now enrolled in the University of Illinois in Chicago where he is carrying a full load and works full time. His goal is to be an attorney.

Padilla's supporters are requesting that ICE close his deportation case.

"Stop senseless deportation and enforcement while we wait for immigration reform," said Joshua Hoyt, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

"What is the point? How is this helpful in any way to destroy families, destroy lives and rob ourselves of the talent of the taxes of the work, of the education that these individuals stand to gain?" said U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, (D) North Suburbs & Chicago.

Gail Montenegro of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said: "Rigoberto Padilla is in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws and has been fully afforded due process through the immigration courts. He is represented by legal counsel and had the opportunity to present the facts of his case before an impartial immigration judge who ruled on the case."

"He is now going to pay for the sins of his parents, really, and we cannot be making special exceptions for him," said Rosanna Pulido, Minutemen Project.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights marched to the Department of Homeland Security to deliver 9,000 petitions requesting the end to deportations and asking for a meeting with the director to discuss Padilla's plight.

"He has refused to meet, refused to discuss this case. They don't wand to allow us into the building, the building our taxes paid for," said Hoyt.

Padilla has been ordered to voluntarily leave the country before or on December 16. He has not been back to Mexico since he was six years old and does not know what he will do there without his family.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...cal&id=6980524

When I read this story something didn't sound right. Why was he taken to jail for blowing a stop sign? Officers usually issue a ticket for such an offense. I don't know how true this is but some of the comments for the story said he actually got arrested for DUI. If thats the case then I think he might have cost himself the opportunity of a lifetime. Also it says his public defender "reported" him ; Can that be right?
Crazy story all together. I wish him the best of luck but I hate DUIs!

Ok, this part is completely ridiculous. He would get disbarred right away. Your lawyer cannot reveal any of your past crimes, whatever they are.

There is probably more to this story than the article mentions.

damn.....this is so mean......government should pass the Dream Act ASAP this year.....

Running a Stop sign is a Misdeamenor? Since when?

Article does not reveal all information.

Was he DUI? Has a License? Registration?

My guess was he did not have a drivers license when he got pulled over for running a stop sign, so he was charged with the misdemeanor of Driving Without a License, since he also probably did not have a valid form of ID he was arrested and taken to county jail until he could prove his identity, that is where he was found to be in the country illegally and reported to ICE.

I remember reading about him earlier in the year. He was driving under the influence.

Obama won't do anything for help us.

What he has been doing for us (Hipanics)? Nothing he is just giving us words...... but actions speak more than words.

Nobody will do anything even other hispanics that are in the government. WE, as students, will have the power to let the DREAM ACT pass and get reall. How?

Let organize ourselves, we have knowledge. I'm a business graduate I will contribute with anything that I know. This guy was studing Law he can contribute with something and I know there will be another illegal students that are very smart and with all that knowledge we can push the DREAM ACT to make it reall!!

If what you said is true, then I have no sympathy for him. I'm assuming he does not have a valid license, either. I understand the frustration of not being able to drive (if you don't have a valid license from WA or NM), but if he stupidly chose to drive without a license (again, my assumption) AND was drunk driving while undocumented, then he can't say his only mistake was "blowing a stop sign."

I can't believe he made it seem like what he did was not a big deal at all! It's an unfortunate situation to be in, and I hope the rest of us will have a chance to better ourselves soon.

Indeed, other sources (reliable ones) state that he was a DUI. Oh and his final order of deportation is set for December 16.