Fighting for my family, haven't slept in weeks

[editors note, by Duke1676] This story, first appearing at the Dialy Kos, reveals a side of the immigration debate that we rarely hear from our elected officials or the media. How US immigration policies effect individuals and families.

Fighting for my family, haven't slept in weeks
by randallemery

My wife immigrated to this country when we got married, but has been unable to travel to visit her family because she doesn't yet have a green card. She doesn't yet have a green card because we've been waiting 3 and 1/2 years for a computerized background check.

But what's keeping me up at night is proposed legislation that passed in the House with no press in December and is being forced through the Senate by Bill Frist right now. The version of the house bill, broadly interpretted, could make my wife a criminal for marrying me and subject her to "not less than one year in prison". The same would be true of the parents of 3.2 million other American citizens.

Thousands have rallied across the country already -- the latest in Washington on Tuesday (5,000), but the press is not covering it.

I know that these days there's always some scandal taking up the news, but this legislation threatens millions of families -- we're talking about people coming in the middle of the night to drag off families.

The author goes on to tell one of the most horrific tales of the failure of the CIS and of US immigration policy on a whole, I have ever heard.

(more below the fold)
Tag: immigration

Recently this happened to a restaurant owner, John, who I met here in Philadelphia. They dragged off his pregant wife after denying her case for asylum. Neither he nor their children knew what happened to her. She just disappeared off the street.

They'd both been here for 11 years and have a successful business. Had she been deported to China, she would have been forced to abort the twins she was carrying. She was under so much stress that she starting feeling really not well. She repeatedly asked for doctors and nobody listened, and through all of that, lost her twin babies. If you met this man, you would know right away that this is a good person. John's wife's case is still pending.

I know it's like the scandal of the week anymore, but this topic deserves attention. It's critically important that people call their Senators right now and oppose any legislation that would make my case and John's case an everyday occurrence. Legislation is being amended in the Senate Judiciary committee today, and they need to hear the calls of people who oppose this frightening legislation.

ACTION ITEMS

in the Senate Judiciary committee today, and they need to hear the calls of people who oppose this frightening legislation.

• Background on the House bill:
  Here


• Background on the Senate bill being debated right now:
  Here


• John's case is only national news in China


• Coverage of a recent rally on Indy Media

This bill is so much of a non-news maker that members of the Senate Judiciary committee didn't even show up yesterday. Today is a national call in day for those who know about it. The New American Opportunity Campaign has information about who to call: Here