By: gonzalez80

gonzalez80 — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:18:39 +0000

I certainly can feel for this family. My story is as follows:
My story is basically the same as many regarding the 10 year bar. My husband entered the US illegally in 2001 and now is paying the price for staying more than 1 year; he is barred from re entry into the US for 10 years…2018. Since he has been here he has done his taxes with the ITIN number the gov’t issues to those who don’t have a social security number to file them correctly; paid the taxes when due and waited for his money when they owed him; he and I married; he was able to adopt my youngest child; he had a job for 8 years with a construction company where he knew his job well; he speaks English; we were buying a house together; would have helped anybody out whether Caucasion, Hispanic, Black, etc. We hired a lawyer from Omaha, Nebraska, Jason Finch who told us the outcome was great that my husband would return within 1 year. He had us pay almost $4000 upfront or in payments while he was only filling us with false hopes. One year was going to be tough, but my husband understood that he had to pay a penalty and this was it. This lawyer did us wrong, by not filling out the paperwork correctly, not speaking with us only through his assistance. The day before we had to leave for Mexico in April 2008 I told the lawyer that there were some descrepancies within the forms and what if we were questioned and Jason Finch stated that “these consular officers understand that lawyers make mistakes. Everything will be ok.” Knowing that my husband was going to be barred for 10 years Jason should have never taken on this case and taken our money. April 10, 2008 was like the end of our lives. I felt like I did on June 29, 2006 when my dad passed away, empty, full of pain, full of hate, mad and mad at the whole world including this lawyer. I have lost the man I love with all my heart; my boys’ (more my youngest) has lost his daddy; I have lost my friend, the main head of household; we going to lose our house since I can’t keep up the payments, we might have to go onto gov’t help till I can get back up on my feet.
ICE has started this thing where people who were in the deportation proceeding with no other criminal background can go to them, get their life in order, and return for their ride home and this won’t go against them. It is totally unfair. My husband wasn’t running from anyone. He went to Mexico on his own. No police, immigration judge, ICE, nobody was looking for him. I don’t understand…it should be those that fall under the 3/10 year bar and not those who were just here illegally and trying to do the right thing and be like us. Not only is my husband paying a penalty, but his family too. We have lost a great person from our family and it has caused emotional destraught for us his wife and children. His job is still waiting for him and I will too.
Since all this has taken place, I resent the packet of papers to the Texas Service Center in hopes they will reconsider; I have wrote Grassley (IA) on July 28, 2008 I had a 15 minute meeting by phone with him and his secretary about what was going on with my husband and his answer was that he couldn’t help us; to only wait for this Comprehensive Immigration Bill to pass; Good luck to my family. Steve King spoke with me over the phone during once of his Teletown meetings and had me call his office. I called his office and they only gave me information about how to send information to the bar regarding the lawyer and how he handled our case. A few weeks later I got a letter from Harkins office stating that they received information from my husband’s case and it looks as if he could reapply in 2011. I was so happy to think that was just a few years away. I called his office again to see if the his secretary could check into this date, because the consulate officer told us 2018. An hour so later she called back stating it had been a typo on their part and they would change the date from 2011 to 2018. I hurt once again. I then emailed all the Senators for which I found emails for and basically they all state they can not help so please contact your local gov’t officials for help. I then received a letter from Ben Nelson and he stated that he understood my situation, but unfortunately he couldn’t do nothing about this. I search everyday for updates regarding these bars and where it might be favorable to my husband and many that are going through the same.
The US is always stating that we need to keep families together; it is important that children have their fathers and mothers in their lives. How can we do this if all your doing is destroying families, lives, etc.
Why can’t those that are under the bar just pay a fee penalty and have a right to prove they are good people and should be allowed to be part of our society. If anyone wants to leave me a message you can email me here bethany_gonzalez@hotmail.com or post a message here!!!!!

Comments on: Aggravated Felons May Not Really Be Aggravated Felons

By: gonzalez80