Foreign Widows and Widowers asked to leave the US

by Suranee | June 16, 2009 at 12:02 am

434 views | 46 Recommendations | 19 comments

A number of foreign men and women married to US citizens have been asked to leave the US when their spouses died.

In our post-9/11 world, immigration has become increasingly tough on, of all groups, widows.

A foreigner who marries a U.S. citizen is entitled to become a U.S. resident.

But Immigration has been trying to deport several hundred widows and a few widowers - foreigners who had been married to American citizens when the Americans died.

Raquel Williams was one such widow who was asked to leave the US when her husband Derek Williams died.

The immigration officials told her she had to go back to Brazil but her son, five months old at the time, could stay.

Derek had insomnia, so he'd watch TV on their couch during the night. But he also had breathing problems and an irregular heartbeat, which proved fatal. After he died, Raquel and her son Ian moved in with Derek's parents, and three months after Derek died, Raquel finally had the immigration interview that she had been asking for for a year - the interview to prove that her marriage was legitimate.

She went to the interview with Ian, and brought all the documentation needed to prove she had been married to Derek; she also brought the death certificate.

"And I explained what happened. 'My husband pass away. What can I do from now? This is his death certificate,'" she remembers. "'Oh, your case, your case is gonna be denied.'"

"And they said, 'You're gonna have to go back to Brazil.' And I said, 'I have my son. You know? This is my son. He's American citizen.' And they said that, 'You can go. He can stay.'"

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digirose

at 01:26 on June 16th, 2009

What's wrong with the world today...I am sick of hearing stories like this. Why don't they leave this woman be, she's done nothing wrong except marry the man she loved. Americans have the perfect word for people like them, it begins with 'A'.

Suranee

at 04:32 on June 16th, 2009

I do hope she gets to stay in the US Digirose. It's not like she committed a crime.

Sputnic

at 02:46 on June 16th, 2009

Obscene ! The land of the free seperating a mother and baby

Suranee

at 04:38 on June 16th, 2009

I'm surprised to see such a thing happening in the land of the free too Sputnic. Hope the mother is not made to leave and be separated from her baby.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 07:58 on June 16th, 2009

This is the most outrageous thing I ever heard of. You get punished because you lost your husband or wife. Gimme a Break.

Spydermonkey

at 04:37 on June 16th, 2009

The people in charge of immigration now are heartless basters that give all Americans a bad name. :(

Suranee

at 04:44 on June 16th, 2009

In this case Spydermonkey, I agree with you that it was a heartless thing to do. But if the US was to deport immigrants based on crimes they have committed, I don't think it is a heartless thing to do.

Mimi B

at 05:48 on June 16th, 2009

Insane, absolutely insane!!!!!!! What crime did she commit Suranee? She married a man she loved, they had a child together and he ends up dying...

It is insane the way immigration works in this country...rewarding people who are actually illegal immigrants and punishing people who have done everything legal! Illegals get a work permit, legals are told to leave the country. Now, that is a crime!!!!! Illegals get rallies held on their behalf, because God forbid their families get separated. Legals....who cares, too bad if your family gets separated! Isn't it time for legals to have their own rallies?

Yellow Guitar

at 06:36 on June 16th, 2009

So much for 'send us your poor ... sick ... huddled masses ... from you teeming shores...'

I guess it's easier to go after widows and orphans than to pursue the criminals who ought to be booted back to where they came from. Sad.

Suranee

at 18:48 on June 16th, 2009

It seems the immigration officials think so Yellow Guitar. The US should seriously think about deporting immigrants who break the law. I think by doing so they will be able to minimize a lot of problems caused by certain immigrants.

digirose

at 13:05 on June 16th, 2009

It so does my heart good too read all these supporting comments for Raquel Williams. In my home city Liverpool, England, a wonderful family was sent back to a country they had fled in order to escape cruelty and torture. They were an asset to our city, the dad was a school governor and the daughters did so much volutanry work you wouldn't believe. But the immigration 'A's did not care about that, they just rounded them up and shipped them out, the father has since been tortured, all but one young daughter went back, she was out when 'they' came for the family. We will keep that young girl safe, and fight to get that family back.

You Americans should fight to keep this woman and her son, in America where they belong.

Suranee

at 19:06 on June 16th, 2009

That's really sad Digirose what happened to the family. I hope you do succeed in getting her family back.

I think the media in the US should also get involved in this case. This could immensely help them both.

digirose

at 04:39 on June 17th, 2009

It's cache 21 for the family at the moment, Suranee. Mr Dar is stuck between those who threaten to hurt him if he asks for help from those who can help but don't want to but may if he asks. Meanwhile Azbaa is still on the run, and the Home Office is still considering the case.

Suranee

at 05:28 on June 17th, 2009

I hope everything works out DigiRose.

Donald E. Schrickel

at 08:20 on June 17th, 2009

Now Let's see, George Bush wanted to allow Mexican Nationals that entered our country illegally, become citizens, but we're denying a resident that was married to a now deceased American? Give me a break! Do they suspect TERROISM? Talk about paranoia!

Suranee

at 19:43 on June 17th, 2009

Does not make sense Donald E. Schrickel. I'm curious, why did George Bush want to grant them US citizenship? Another thing, is is true that illegal immigrants enjoy more rights than the Native American people?

Yellow Guitar

at 07:46 on June 18th, 2009

No. In fact, Native Americans enjoy special status in a number of ways, for example, the right to hunt, fish and trap in or out of 'season', tuition benefits, etc. Whoever told you that illegal immigrants enjoy more rights than First Nations people or any legal US citizen likely has an axe to grind on some other front which may or not be related to compassion for immigrants to America.

Suranee

at 20:52 on June 18th, 2009

That is good to hear Yellow Guitar. I'm glad they do enjoy special status in a number of ways.

President Obama has appointed a lady who is a member of the Cherokee Nation to be his senior policy adviser for Native American affairs. I think this is a good move by the President because if there are problems the First Nation's people have, there's a chance it will be addressed with the help of Kim Teehee.

WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama announced Monday he has selected Kimberly Teehee to be his senior policy adviser for Native American affairs.

"Kim Teehee will be a tremendous asset to our team as we work to strengthen and build on the nation-to-nation relationship between the United States and tribal nations," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.