Immigration issues can become complicated when children are brought into the United States and grow to be adults. The issue of certain crimes making a legal permanent resident eligible for deportation can also add to the complications. While the deportation can be overwhelming, there are incidents where people have avoided deportation thanks to the hard work and support of others. Anyone in Maryland who is or has a family member dealing with possible deportation may be interested in the story of a woman who avoided deportation at the last minute.
The case involves a woman who was brought to this country as a child when her mother married a military member. She and her mom were from Thailand. The woman grew to be an adult who worked at a pizza place. As an adult married to a citizen, she has three sons in the military and a young daughter.
Her immigration issues began when she was arrested and convicted of a felony theft charge related to stealing money from the pizza place where she worked. The conviction led to her detainment and then to a trip to the airport. Community support and the support of the people who owned the pizza place, along with calls and emails to the government, resulted in the government agreeing to take another look at her case and suspending her deportation for the time being. The woman was at the airport and less than an hour from boarding the plane when she got the word that she could stay.
While most cases involving possible deportation do not end as dramatically as this case, the time leading up to a deportation can be intimidating and stressful on family and friends. There are a number of avenues supporters may pursue as a means of helping someone facing deportation. Anyone in Maryland in this situation may benefit from knowing his or her specific rights, any changes in immigration law and also what kind of options they have for fighting a deportation.
Source: abcnews.go.com, “US Changes Mind About Deporting Missouri Woman”, Alan Scher Zagier, June 23, 2014