4 ms·

Terrific story. I can't understand how even the most heartless xenophobe could possibly support the deportation of a someone who graduated from a US university.

Terrific story. I can't understand how even the most heartless xenophobe could possibly support the deportation of a someone who graduated from a US university. Utterly self-defeating from a social and an economic standpoint.

ctdonath 15y ago
Crime has consequences, no matter how nice/good/smart you are. Do the paperwork, follow the process, come in legally - like my wife did.
- jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
  The point (which you're clearly missing) is that this shouldn't be a crime. Our economy and our society loses in a very tangible way because of our draconian and ultimately childish attitude toward immigration.
- donohoe 15y ago
  "come in legally" He was 12, and didn't have a choice at that time. Its not that clear-cut.
- wiredfool 15y ago
  He was 12 when he was put on the plane, 16ish when he tried to get a driver's license. A Minor. He can't easily go back. He can't legally stay. He's dammned either way, so he makes the best of it. Sooner or later, it's going to catch up with him. The adult who put him in the situation is not in the country. At least one of the others responsible is dead.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- shiven 15y ago
  The point at which law becomes a hinderance and not help is when it gets changed or broken. Basically, all you are suggesting is: go find a "citizen" to trap in matrimony in order to be a legal immigrant? The matrimony route is especially relevant, since in the US it is the one of the faster means to obtaining citizenship compared to other methods immigrate legally. Here is the reference: http://reason.com/assets/db/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad.jpg http://reason.com/assets/db/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad...
  - jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
    One of the fallacies about immigration is that anybody can become a permanent resident by marrying a citizen. This path to permanent residency was basically choked off in the 1980s by requiring that the newlywed couple leave the country for a few years before they're allowed to come back to the US to live, and even then, it's not certain that the government will let it happen. This means that if I happen to fall in love and marry someone who happens to not be a citizen of the US, I'm totally at the mercy of the government.
    - lutorm 15y ago
      Huh? "Anybody" (i.e. excluding terrorists, nazis, communists, HIV-positives, and other comparatively small segments of the population) can become a US permanent resident by marrying a US citizen unless they are present in the US illegally. Then the case is more complicated, but in many cases you are still eligible.
      - jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
        Please reread, I said "this path to permanent residency," not "the only path". You can become a permanent resident by getting married, but the process isn't straightforward. The draconian requirement that the newly-married couple leave the US reduces some fraud, I'm sure, but it also causes an enormous amount of disruption for the 99% of legitimately married couples who have families and livelihoods within the US.
        lutorm 15y ago
        "This path" is what I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm a non-American who married a US citizen, and I just got my green card. There was no requirement that we leave for any amount of time. The whole process took 5 months and was about as painless as anything dealing with the USCIS could possibly be.
        anigbrowl 15y ago
        Jeffrey, there is no such requirement. Someone who marries an American cannot immediately adjust to permanent resident status, but is (typically) granted conditional residence, which is in practice the same thing except that it can be easily revoked if it looks like the marriage is a sham. After 2 years the not-so-newlyweds can (in fact, must) apply to have the conditional status removed, at which point the foreign spouse becomes a permanent resident. This is almost always a formality except in cases of marriage fraud or involvement in criminal activity. There is no requirement to leave the country. In fact, for people who have been married longer than 2 years or living together a long time, USCIS will sometimes waive the conditional status (and thus the fee to have lifted later) because they have prima facie evidence of a bona fide relationship. It's only in cases where they have serious doubts about the honesty of the applicant that they require the couple to leave the US and wait several years to reapply. IANAL but you are definitely misinformed about this, and should not allow it to interfere with your love life.
- wvenable 15y ago
  Crimes should have reasonable punishments; unfortunately, in this case, the punishment is extreme given the circumstances.
- guelo 15y ago
  Umm, I guess if there was gay marriage he could have gotten in by marrying you.
- iandanforth 15y ago
  Crime should have consequences. Sometimes you have to spend a night in jail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks) Otherwise people might mistake that crime for living an honorable and hardworking life.
- 7952 15y ago
  Have you ever downloaded something from bit torrent? I hope they send you to jail.
VladRussian 15y ago
unfortunately, graduating from a university makes you an alien for many of such xenophobes :) (and it isn't US only phenomena)

ctdonath 15y ago

Crime has consequences, no matter how nice/good/smart you are. Do the paperwork, follow the process, come in legally - like my wife did.

jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
The point (which you're clearly missing) is that this shouldn't be a crime. Our economy and our society loses in a very tangible way because of our draconian and ultimately childish attitude toward immigration.
donohoe 15y ago
"come in legally" He was 12, and didn't have a choice at that time. Its not that clear-cut.
wiredfool 15y ago
He was 12 when he was put on the plane, 16ish when he tried to get a driver's license. A Minor. He can't easily go back. He can't legally stay. He's dammned either way, so he makes the best of it. Sooner or later, it's going to catch up with him. The adult who put him in the situation is not in the country. At least one of the others responsible is dead.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
shiven 15y ago
The point at which law becomes a hinderance and not help is when it gets changed or broken. Basically, all you are suggesting is: go find a "citizen" to trap in matrimony in order to be a legal immigrant? The matrimony route is especially relevant, since in the US it is the one of the faster means to obtaining citizenship compared to other methods immigrate legally. Here is the reference: http://reason.com/assets/db/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad.jpg http://reason.com/assets/db/07cf533ddb1d06350cf1ddb5942ef5ad...
- jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
  One of the fallacies about immigration is that anybody can become a permanent resident by marrying a citizen. This path to permanent residency was basically choked off in the 1980s by requiring that the newlywed couple leave the country for a few years before they're allowed to come back to the US to live, and even then, it's not certain that the government will let it happen. This means that if I happen to fall in love and marry someone who happens to not be a citizen of the US, I'm totally at the mercy of the government.
  - lutorm 15y ago
    Huh? "Anybody" (i.e. excluding terrorists, nazis, communists, HIV-positives, and other comparatively small segments of the population) can become a US permanent resident by marrying a US citizen unless they are present in the US illegally. Then the case is more complicated, but in many cases you are still eligible.
    - jeffreymcmanus 15y ago
      Please reread, I said "this path to permanent residency," not "the only path". You can become a permanent resident by getting married, but the process isn't straightforward. The draconian requirement that the newly-married couple leave the US reduces some fraud, I'm sure, but it also causes an enormous amount of disruption for the 99% of legitimately married couples who have families and livelihoods within the US.
      - lutorm 15y ago
        "This path" is what I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm a non-American who married a US citizen, and I just got my green card. There was no requirement that we leave for any amount of time. The whole process took 5 months and was about as painless as anything dealing with the USCIS could possibly be.
      - anigbrowl 15y ago
        Jeffrey, there is no such requirement. Someone who marries an American cannot immediately adjust to permanent resident status, but is (typically) granted conditional residence, which is in practice the same thing except that it can be easily revoked if it looks like the marriage is a sham. After 2 years the not-so-newlyweds can (in fact, must) apply to have the conditional status removed, at which point the foreign spouse becomes a permanent resident. This is almost always a formality except in cases of marriage fraud or involvement in criminal activity. There is no requirement to leave the country. In fact, for people who have been married longer than 2 years or living together a long time, USCIS will sometimes waive the conditional status (and thus the fee to have lifted later) because they have prima facie evidence of a bona fide relationship. It's only in cases where they have serious doubts about the honesty of the applicant that they require the couple to leave the US and wait several years to reapply. IANAL but you are definitely misinformed about this, and should not allow it to interfere with your love life.
wvenable 15y ago
Crimes should have reasonable punishments; unfortunately, in this case, the punishment is extreme given the circumstances.
guelo 15y ago
Umm, I guess if there was gay marriage he could have gotten in by marrying you.
iandanforth 15y ago
Crime should have consequences. Sometimes you have to spend a night in jail. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks) Otherwise people might mistake that crime for living an honorable and hardworking life.
7952 15y ago
Have you ever downloaded something from bit torrent? I hope they send you to jail.

VladRussian 15y ago

unfortunately, graduating from a university makes you an alien for many of such xenophobes :) (and it isn't US only phenomena)