Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

Over One Hundred People Gathered to "Shine a Light" on Immigrant Justice on International Human Rights Day and Celebrate the Halting of Rigo Padilla's Deportation

On Thursday, December 10, 2009, immigrants and diverse faith communities gathered at the Chicago Temple to come together for an interfaith candlelight vigil to shine a light on the need for Congress to pass just and humane immigration reform in 2010.  The gathering was filled with a tone of celebration for the good news that the Department of Homeland Security halted the deportation of Rigo Padilla, but that we need to continue to struggle for comprehensive immigration reform that upholds the human rights of all people, including undocumented immigrants.

The event is part of Shine a Light from Coast to Coast, a series of National Days of Interfaith Action. In addition to the vigil, members of Chicago faith communities signed postcards to the Obama administration and members of Congress urging them to pass immigration reform now.

Participants in the program included: Rabbi Brant Rosen, Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston; Rabbi Joshua Salter, Beth Shalom B'Nai Zaken and Southwest Organizing Project; Fr. Tony Pizzo, St. Rita of Cascia and Priests for Justice for Immigrants; Rev Dan Dale, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ; Pastor Freddy Santiago, Iglesia Rebaño in Humboldt Park; Simba Tayari, Swahili Institute of Chicago; Marilu Gonzalez, Archdiocese of Chicago; Sidney Hollander, KAM Isaiah Israel; Rev Marilyn Pagan-Banks, United Church of Christ Council for Hispanic Ministries and Good New Community Kitchen; and testimonies by immigrants being directly affected by our nation's broken immigration system, including Rigo Padilla who was granted a one year stay on his deportation that was origionally scheduled for December 16^th. 

News articles about Rigo Padilla

Chicago Sun Times Student Scheduled for Deportation Gets One More Year
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1932535,rigo-padilla-deportation-reprieve-121009.article

AMC News Homeland Security Halts UIC Student's Deportation
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7163926

New York Times Illegal Immigrant Students Publicly Take up Cause
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/us/11student.html?_r=1

Chicago Public Radio Student's Case Sparks Immigration Debate
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=38733

Chicago Public Radio Student Facing Deportation Allowed to Stay
http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=38725

Medill News At the Last Minute UIC Student Deportation is Halted
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=152873

NBC News UIC Student gets one-year stay
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/UIC-Student-Gets-One-Year-Stay-deportation-rigo-padilla-79001642.html

Chicanisima/ Chicago Now Interview with Rigo Padilla
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicanisima/2009/12/interview-with-rigo-padilla.html

Progress Illinois Rigo's Deportation Halsted
http://progressillinois.com/2009/12/10/rigo%27s-deportation-halted

Chicago Tribune Give Immigrants the Chance they Need
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-091209,0,1358967.story

WGN News Undocumented Student Wins One Year Reprieve
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-undocumented-student-can-stay-1-year-dec10,0,7915219.story

Articulos en Español

La Raza Aplazan Deportación de Estudiante Rigoberto Padilla por un Año
http://www.impre.com/laraza/1/1/1/aplazan-deportacion-de-estudia-163146-5.html

Hoy Autoridades migratorias le permiten a Rigoberto 'Rigo' Padilla quedarse un año mas
http://www.vivelohoy.com/noticias/localidades/chicago/vlh-rigopermiso-1210,0,2430933.story

Notimex Logra Mexicano en Chicago aplazar un año su deportación
http://sdpnoticias.com/sdp/contenido/2009/12/10/4/549057