Green Card For Missing GI's Wife

Dominican Woman In U.S. Illegally And Married To Soldier Kidnapped In Iraq Receives Green Card

(AP)  Yaderlin Hiraldo Jimenez, the wife of missing Army Spec. Alex Jimenez, no longer has to worry about being deported as she awaits word of her husband's fate.

On Friday, Yaderlin walked into a US Citizenship and Naturalization Services Office in Buffalo, New York. She left with a greed card in her hand, guaranteeing she can stay in the U.S. for the rest of her life.

"She was moved to tears," her lawyer Matthew Kolken, who went with her to the immigration office, told the Boston Sunday Globe.

"Her immigration problems have been solved in their entirety and now her focus is completely dedicated to her hope and desire that she's going to see her husband again," Kolken added.

The move came after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said last month that his agency would "terminate" the deportation case against Yaderlin so she could stay in the country and apply for permanent resident status.

At the time, Chertoff said in a letter to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., that "the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families deserve our greatest respect."

Jimenez, of Lawrence, Mass., and a comrade, Pvt. Byron Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich. have been missing since their unit was attacked by insurgents in Iraq on May 12.

Jimenez had petitioned for a green card for his wife, whom he married in 2004.

Yaderlin illegally entered the United States from the Dominican Republic in June 2001, paying $500 to a smuggler and walking three days from Mexico to California.

Her husband's request for a green card and legal residence status for her alerted authorities to her situation.

On Friday, the Pentagon changed the status of Jimenez and Fouty from "whereabouts unknown" to "missing/captured."

The change reflects an official determination that the two were seized by hostile forces. The earlier designation is typically used when a soldier goes missing but military officials have not confirmed the circumstances.

The change does not mean the military has gained any new information about their whereabouts.

Kolken said Yaderlin hopes to apply for citizenship so she can eventually vote. She also hopes to attend college, he said.

"She commented about how much she loved this country," Kolken said.

[kevinlong125]

I personally feel relieved the wife of the missing soldier got the break. She doesn't deserve the deportation while her husband is missing from his military duty. It also proves how inadequate the current US immigration law is.

I didn't see any immigration reform opponents making any nasty comments on her getting the green card. But if their argument stands at first place, this lady is a criminal. She shouldn't get any break. I am pretty sure she didn't pay any fine before USCIS gave her the green card as those 12 million illegal immigrants would, had the immigration reform bill passed. She didn't have to leave the country then to apply from Dominican Republic
It simply proves immigration law is a civil law because secretary of DHS can simply authorize her legal status even the law says she cannot get legal permanent residency.

If we say the soldier's wife deserving the break, how about those "illegal" immigrants working under sun, in hot kitchen, on cold floors to build houses for Americans, to feed Americans and keep American clean. What they are doing for this country is just noble as the missing soldier is.

[jt92202]

All persons in the Armed Forces should automaticlly be citizens and their spouses and children under the age of 18 should get their green card, PERIOD!!! If they can lay their lives down for the us then we should give them citizenship. Children should go to the front of the line when they have completed their citizenship papers. The family gives up so much for their spouses/fathers/mothers that that is the least we can do for them.

I do not believe in Amnisty, I say we send all illigals back to their country of origin and they can start their paperwork from there.

BUILD THE FENCE!!!!

[lars008-2009]

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the terrorslam imperialism empire of the darkside...

it is fascist nazi imperialist terrorslam stupid%u2026.

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair's bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770
Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

[lars008-2009]

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the terrorslam imperialism empire of the darkside...

wow... look who is the warmonger.... hahahaha

the war that fascist nazi Islamic muslims started rages on 1400 years later...

The Truth about Islamic Crusades and Imperialism

Historical facts say that Islam has been imperialistic%u2014and would still like to be, if only for religious reasons. Many Muslim clerics, scholars, and activists, for example, would like to impose Islamic law around the world. Historical facts say that Islam, including Muhammad, launched their own Crusades against Christianity long before the European Crusades.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/11/the_truth_about_islamic_crusad.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/2004/08/the_muslim_crusades.html

Islamic origins
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/pdf/compass/hico_058.pdf
Origin of Islam
http://www.allaboutreligion.org/origin-of-islam.htm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Origin+of Islam%3A Secular History

Muhammad suicide attempts
http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Silas/suicide.htm
http://www.answering-islam.de/Main///Silas/fatrah.htm

[agnim]

Isn't it nice when every once in a blue moon the government leaders become alert enough to do the right thing, and cause an overwhelming majority of Americans to stand up and cheer?

That soldier is most likely dead victim of the bushwar and maniac muslims.
However, if he's alive and a prisoner some place, and learn of his wife's Greed Card, you know how uplifting of his spirit that would be for the prisoner? LOL

[agnim]

"I AM NATIVE AMERICAN gonna hate me too???
Posted by clawson44 at 08:49 PM : Jul 01, 2007"

LOL
We want to help you take back your land; but would you be willing to trade in some of the alcohol in order to get back some of your native land? LOL

[randalds]

While reading the commets with ***** I feel like I should be speaking like a robot. What are you guys doing? lol
Posted by dmk3 at 01:08 PM : Jul 02, 2007

It's not the posters fault. The CBS website does that sometimes when it's messed up (which is often). They really should hire some old computer geeks to run the thing for them as the administrators they have now really don't seem to know what they're doing sometimes. It's like when they put up a news story and have a comment section, but nothing that's ever written in it ever gets posted. They're probably a bunch of kids whose high school counselors told them that the future was in in website management, not withstanding the fact that some kids are always going to be awful at it. Computers just ain't what they used to be. Too many people doing it as a job instead of doing it because they like it.

[crystalblue3]

I'm glad she gets to stay. She had petitioned for a green card...at least she's doing something to become "legal" unlike countless others.

The ***talking*** ***like*** ***this*** is VERY annoying...***?

PS: to the poster below me...let me once again point out that "Islam = the relgion of perpetual outrage"

[lars008-2009]

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the terrorslam imperialism empire of the darkside...

FASCIST NAZI ISLAM TO ENSLAVE NON MUSLIM WORLD

HAMAS MICKEY MOUSE SAYS
Islamic rule will benefit Christians and Jews
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - May 14, 2007
The force behind Hamas TV%u2019s controversial Mickey Mouse clone said today that his children%u2019s television program will continue to promote worldwide Islamic supremacy, for everyone's benefit, including Christians and Jews.

In a long interview on Hamas TV, Hazim Al-Sha%u2019arawi, Deputy Director of Al-Aqsa TV and one of the creators of the Hamas children%u2019s TV show Tomorrow%u2019s Pioneers, said that using the program to promote Islamic rule over other religions is actually promoting %u201Cjustice, goodness and world love.%u201D

Al-Aqsa TV and the Palestinian Authority have been under fire since PMW reported last week that Tomorrow%u2019s Pioneers was using a character named Farfur, a knockoff of Disney%u2019s Mickey Mouse character, to convey messages about Islamic supremacy as well as hatred of Jews, Israel and the U.S. Despite public statements by PA Minister of Information Mustafa Barghouti that the show would be taken off the air until it could be reviewed and revised, a new episode of the program %u2013 featuring Al-Sha%u2019arawi as one of the hosts %u2013 ran Friday.
http://pmw.org.il/bulletins_may2007.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S995NCeaUg

[dmk3]

While reading the commets with ***** I feel like I should be speaking like a robot. What are you guys doing? lol

[abigail70]

***She***'***s*** ***done*** ***nothing*** ***for*** ***this*** ***country***. ***It*** ***was*** ***her*** ***husband***'***s*** ***sacrifice***, ***not*** ***hers***. ***She*** ***lucked*** ***into*** ***a*** ***green*** ***card***. ***I*** ***agree*** ***to*** ***sending*** ***her*** ***illegal*** ***ass*** ***home***.

[toldyouso21]

BTW, when a person applies for immigration, they receive a large packet of info. In that packet are the rules of the game. They spell out if a person can stay here or must leave AND they warn and lay out the rules if the applicant leaves America before their application is processed. If an American and their spouse apply while living in another country, the immigrant spouse is asked to submit her passport information, and she is told that she must not try to enter the US for any reason before her application is processed. If she does and is apprehended, she will be deported and her application will be null and void. If a person is ever illegal and is deported, they usually cannot apply for entrance for a very, very long time. (I think it is 10 years) so this is a big deal.

The rules are the same no matter where the immigrant spouse is from. My hubby is from Europe and we received the letters warning us of what to expect if he tried to return, because he had a high clearance visa, he thought he could still leave. He was mistaken. His visa (which is normally given to diplomats) was supposed to be exchanged for the INS version that required routine debriefing every time he reentered the US. We finally got that cleared up, but it was pretty hairy for a while. This rule is necessary so that the INS/ICE can keep track of people and also so that there is not a sort of tag team immigration scam going on. .

[toldyouso21]

have no idea why my previous answer put in the asteriks; hope everyone can read it. I'm pleased she got her green card processed. Her soldier husband petitioned in 2004, three years ago!
Posted by WiccanTexan at 10:43 AM : Jul 02, 2007

And they probably told her she had to return to the Dom. Rep and wait for processing. The fact she stayed against the rules and an order were what made her case eligible for deportation. She was here in defiance to the rules even for immigrating while married to an American citizen.

Because she was here illegally, she goes to the very back of the line and gets no preferential treatment even for having an American husband. Part of the penalty for breaking the law not only to come here but also breaking it to stay here.

[toldyouso21]

***She***'***s*** ***from*** ***the*** ***Dominican*** ***Republic***, ***Mr*** ***Rocket*** ***Scientist***.
Posted by WiccanTexan at 10:40 AM : Jul 02, 2007


I don't think this poster cares where she is from. I think those married to soldiers could be fast tracked, but technically, if she was here illegally; she was supposed to return home and wait for the green card. Odds are her and her husband knew this and that is why they had not applied. As for those who say women will snag soldiers jsut to get here--so what? German and Japanese women did it after WWII (as did french and english women) and Asian women did it after the Korean and Vietnam wars--after all the mayhem in their own countries, women escape any way they can. Be prepared for a possible flood of ME brides after this war too.

[wiccantexan]

I have no idea why my previous answer put in the asteriks; hope everyone can read it. I'm pleased she got her green card processed. Her soldier husband petitioned in 2004, three years ago!

[wiccantexan]

******send****** ******her****** ******home****** ******on****** ******a****** ******slow****** ******tug****** ******boat****** ******to****** ******South****** ******Mexico******, ******along****** ******with****** ******200M****** ******other****** ********************.
***Posted*** ***by*** ***billysmith6*** ***at*** ***10***:***02*** ***AM*** : ***Jul*** ***02***, ***2007***
***________________________***

***She***'***s*** ***from*** ***the*** ***Dominican*** ***Republic***, ***Mr*** ***Rocket*** ***Scientist***.

[toldyouso21]

When any of these things are breached, they are issues. it is illegal to enter the US on any kind of visa or for visiting once a person has provided for immigration, without the express clearance of ICE. these things are important to know, because several people have married foreigners but made the mistake of applying for citizenship before their spouse was stateside. Now, they either must live separately from their spouse until the process is completed OR move to their spouse's country and await clearance.

The key is to be IN the states at the time of app. and to NOT Leave. If a person is illegally in the states, they have no rights in this matter and married to an American or not, they CAN be deported. IN my case, my husband was here legally BUT he left the country on business and then needed to return. This is usually not allowed.

[toldyouso21]

When they were married, her illegal alien status disappeared. Posted by jula2191 at 03:50 AM : Jul 02, 2007

You are obviously not that familiar with our immigration laws. I not only went through this process, but was snagged by it. People do not automatically change status when they marry. If a person is in the country illegally and they marry, they are to leave and return to their home country and wait for processing. If they are in America visiting for any reason but are not here illegally; they can usually stay, but if they leave for any reason, they must remain outside the country and not enter until they are processed.

If a person marries overseas and applies for citizenship before they actually are in the states, they must remain overseas and are not allowed entrance even for a visit until they are processed. Routine process for a green card usually takes from 12 months from start of application process to 3 years depending on the issues.
continued on next post

[gangesdak]

In this case, it was the right decision. The government should be proud to make such a decision. I am proud too to belong to such a country.

[drinuk]

Whilst this could set a precedent for sham marriages to serving soldiers, it is however the right thing to do under these circumstances, albeit that it smacks as a PR job by the government.

Regarding the Green Card policy, I find it an anomaly that British Soldiers serving and fighting alongside Americans in both Iraq and Afghanistan are not even allowed to enter for the Green Card Lottery upon having served their time. Conversely the people they are currently fighting, mainly Pakistani Militants and terrorists are allowed this privilege. The very same people who today are aiming their grenade launchers at your sons and daughters will undoubtedly be living in your street in a couple of years time. How sick is that !!