Rep. Judy Biggert is not winning any allies in the immigrant rights community. During negotiations over a bill that would allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages, the Hinsdale Republican authored an amendment that would have limited eligibility to U.S. citizens and green card holders. When her amendment wasn’t considered, she introduced an alternative proposal, dubbed the Fairness in Housing Recovery Act, that included strikingly similar language. It picked up 29 Republican co-sponsors, including Illinois Reps. Mark Kirk, John Shimkus, and Tim Johnson. Here’s how the congresswoman explained it in a press release:

“There are a lot of good ideas we should be considering to help address the housing downturn,” said Biggert, a senior member of the Financial Services Committee. “But extending the failed Hope for Homeowners program is not one of them. It was supposed to help 400,000 homeowners and has only reached 43. It’s clearly not working. And flippers, speculators, illegals, and criminals shouldn’t be allowed take advantage of a program aimed at worthy borrowers who are struggling to keep their family homes.”

A who’s-who of affordable housing, immigrants rights, and anti-poverty organizations -- including the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and Citizen Action/Illinois, among many others -- expressed dismay over the initial amendment. Their concern? Refugees, highly-skilled workers in the process of getting green cards, and other legal immigrants would be denied assistance. Also, U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants could face homelessness solely because of the immigration status of their parents.

From the coalition’s press release:

During the current economic downturn and housing crisis, it is of utmost importance that working families stay together, have a roof over their heads, and can access the medical care they need. Denying assistance to families because they have the wrong immigration status makes it that much more likely that these families and children will lose their homes and go without health care.

Of course, with only minority support, Biggert’s legislation is intended to merely express anger with the Obama administration’s preferred route. But ICIRR policy director Fred Tsao tells us that Biggert and her pals didn’t really think this one through. “Even if the prospects of passage are slim,” he says, “it sends a really disturbing message.”