I really like Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. I’m jealous of the 9th district.  You can just tell when you hear her speak that she really cares about the people who live in her district and that she wants to use her position to help them. Today we had a good example when it was announced that the scheduled deportation of UIC student Rigo Padilla to Mexico had been deferred for another year by the Department of Homeland Security. The deferment will allow Rigo to remain here while he finishes his studies at UIC , where he is an A student regarded highly by the faculty and student body.

A citizen of Mexico, Rigo has been in the United States since the age of 6 when he moved here from Jalisco with his family. His undocumented status was discovered when he was arrested on a DUI charge. Representative Schakowsky has been actively working to prevent Rigo’s deportation. She introduced legislation last week to grant him permanent residency. This week’s decision is due, no doubt, in no small part to Jan’s efforts on Rigo’s behalf. Thank you, Jan.

Jan issued a statement today in response to the Homeland Security determination:

“The Department of Homeland Security has decided that Rigo Padilla will not be deported next week and I am thrilled that we won our fight to keep him home. Unfortunately, Rigo’s saga illustrates the plight of so many like him who love this country, consider themselves Americans in every way, yet are forced to live in the shadows. We cannot resolve the thousands of heartbreaking cases one-by-one. Rigo’s ordeal underscores the need to fix the broken immigration system in a comprehensive way, and I believe that we cannot wait any longer to do so. Every day we go without reform, we deprive our country of talented students, strong leaders and hard working people who come here from around the world with the simple dream of a better life for themselves and their families.”

Nice. I just wish that here in the 6th district we had a representative who worked to help people like Rigo instead of spending his days in Congress dreaming up new burdens to pile on their backs in his quest for political advantage. But that’s our Peter. Remember this ugly ad from his 2006 campaign against Tammy Duckworth:

Nothing makes me angrier about Peter Roskam than his demonization of immigrants. The 6th District is a diverse place (though maybe not on Peter Roskam’s block). If I am interpreting the 2008 American Community Survey correctly, about 1 in 5 of us was born elsewhere. Roskam likes to portray immigrants as a threat and a drain on the economy. But nothing could be further from the truth. Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, provide a net economic benefit for our communities and enrich our lives in so many other ways. And justice demands that we implement immigration policies that treat people fairly and do not impose undue hardships on those who come among us seeking only a better life for themselves and for their families.

We don’t have to put up with Peter Roskam’s immigrant bashing. We have a chance again next fall to make a change. And there is a Democratic candidate, Ben Lowe of Wheaton, who promises a better way when it comes to immigration policy. I hope that those of you in the district who are immigrants yourselves and those who are concerned that our immigrant brothers and sisters be treated justly, will get acquainted with Ben. I also hope that those of you who have a few bucks to spare will consider making a donation to Ben’s campaign. He really needs help badly right now to get the campaign up and running. You can do both at:

Ben Lowe for Congress, Illinois 6th District

Related posts:

1. Peter Pander
2. Is Representative Luis Gutierrez Really Going to Unite with Peter Roskam to Kill Healthcare Reform?
3. Peter Roskam’s War on Immigrants is a War on Families
4. Peter Roskam and The Crisis That Isn’t
5. Wake Up 6th District! You Have the Worst Congressman in the World: Peter Roskam

Thanks to RSR reader Matt for pointing out this video which is a little more recent than the first one posted. Ben talks about care for the environment in a faith context. I’m really starting to like this guy. Not ready to endorse him, but I like him. Ben is a good reminder, to some progressives like myself who react reflexively to Christianity in politics, that not all Evangelicals are cut from the same cloth – not all have sold out to the Republican corporate establishment.

Ben’s concern for stewardship and for social justice is refreshing to one who has live through the reign of Henry Hyde and his political heir, Peter Roskam, in the 6th district. I’ll be watching closely to see whether Ben can translate his admirable impulse for justice and stewardship into a sound policy platform. I’ll also be watching to see how well Ben is able to relate to the diverse 6th District community (we’re not all Christians, we’re not all religious, some of us have been marginalized by organized religion) and how he deals with the boundary between personal belief and public policy.

Related posts:

1. Why I am Supporting Ben Lowe for Congress
2. Video: Peter Roskam Opponent Ben Lowe on Health Care
3. Challenger Ben Lowe Rejects Peter Roskam’s Gitmo Hysteria
4. Peter Roskam’s Challenger Ben Lowe an Environmentalist
5. RSR Meets with 6th District Democratic Candidate Ben Lowe