My story is only one of millions.
I am a U.S. citizen. In 2007, I married my wonderful wife, a citizen of Mexico. Since then, we have been entangled in the immigration process to adjust my wife’s status. She was brought without papers as a child. Her family came to the U.S. because her father had been unemployed for many months and needed to feed his family. Little did my wife know that this decision would forever change her life. She lived in the shadows covered with a shroud of fear and shame, yet she tried to make the best of it. As a young adult, she worked without a permit to pay for her college education and to support herself. She made the U.S. her home.
In December 2008 we were successful in obtaining conditional permanent residency status for her. In 2010, she became a legal permanent resident – no conditions. In October 2011, she applied for U.S. citizenship. Because of our commitment to God, we were transparent about my wife previously living in the U.S. without a permit, and claiming to be a U.S citizen in order to work and avoid deportation. A few weeks ago, she was denied U.S. citizenship. In fact, USCIS is now saying they should have never granted her permanent residency in the first place, because she had previously claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Under the current laws, anyone who falsely claims to be a U.S. citizen is PERMANENTLY barred from ANY immigration benefits.
So here we are… waiting for a deportation letter to come in the mail any day now. I am committed to my wife, and I would never want her to live away from me. So in essence, I would be deported too. We currently have no children. But when the time comes, they too will be denied the joy of residing in the U.S. We are a family – we could never live apart from each other.
There are no laws in effect to protect me or my family from this. While politicians debate, millions of families like mine are being torn apart. We are in no way a burden to our society. My wife has a bachelor’s degree and is a hard-working woman. I have a master’s degree and work serving U.S. veterans.
We believe that sharing our story is one step towards bringing about change for us and the countless others just like us. Tell your friends about us. Share our story, and help families like us stay together and remain in our country. Also, click on this link http://wh.gov/dfUu and sign our petition to the White House.
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Nick and Eloisa, My heart goes out to you. Both of you are in my prayers and I’m certain that He will wipe away your tears.
Nick, thank you for sharing your story! Let’s get together soon, us four, so that we can pray together and share stories and hopes and dreams! Naz and I are moving to Houston in May, so we’d love to visit with you before we leave.
Keep on trusting God- even if the wait is long and it’s confusing, dark, with no end in sight, He is working on your behalf! =)
This is the reason why the immigration debate is so contentious in this country. People who have broken the law willingly and deliberately for years want not only for their crimes to be completely ignored, but also a reward for their “suffering”. Are you kidding me? Sorry kid, you get no sympathy from me.
The law is the law as my family experienced, some dying on their trips to the US. You either obey them or suffer the consequences. One of my uncles was caught leaving Cuba and later executed for treason. He knew the risks. He suffered the consequences. Your wife’s family was obviously aware of the risks of breaking in to this country and you knew the risks of marrying someone who has committed a crime that she hasn’t been punished for. Now you’re experiencing the consequences of your risk.
It’s time to put on your big boy pants and stop trying to evade accountability. Lo siento, but you made your bed, now lie in it.