By: Daniel Nardini
In her home, Charlotte has many items—from porcelain ware to paintings—of her native Germany. She married an American soldier named Gardner who was stationed in Germany back in the early 1960’s. Gardner brought her to the United States where they had lived happily for over 45 years. Three years ago Gardner died of spinal cancer. I suspect he knew he had it for some time. According to my wife, something like this does not develop instantly but over a course of time. Sadly, unless someone catches it early this type of cancer could quickly go to the point of no return.
Three years before he died, Gardner urgently urged his wife Charlotte to become an American citizen. Before September 11th, many immigrants never felt the urge nor the pressure that not being a U.S. citizen could mean they could be deported. Sadly, the spouse of a U.S. citizen could be eventually deported if they themselves do not become U.S. citizens and if their American spouse dies. I suspect Gardner feared this might happen to his wife and so he did all be could to help her learn American history, quiz her on government, and work to help her improve her writing.
It eventually all paid off. Charlotte passed all of the tests and the U.S. citizenship interview and took the oath of allegiance. Not long after this Gardner’s health deteriorated and in three years he was dead. Now that his wife is a U.S. citizen she will never be deported nor lose the house and property she inherited from Gardner. In my view it was Gardner’s last loving gift to his wife—an assurance she would not be kicked out of this country by an ever-growing vindictive immigration system.
The story that broke my heart was the one of Michael Giesey who had also married a German lady and tried to bring her to this country. I say try because he was poorly informed about what he should have done early in the immigration process, and he was financially stretched to help his brother Stan who had suffered an injury. Giesey’s wife Marina should have received permanent residency, but because of major goof-ups by U.S. immigration she was ordered deported.
What really caught my attention on this story was how similar it was to Charlotte’s. Michael Giesey was also an American soldier. His case should have received special priority simply because of his service to the United States. Plus the fact that he is also a U.S. citizen, a taxpayer and he had no criminal record. Instead, the U.S. government, in Giesey’s words, had “betrayed” him. Because his wife was ordered deported he and his baby daughter went back to Germany with Marina. Yes, the U.S. government definitely betrayed them. This is a sad and truly heart-braking story.
What is truly sad and heart-braking about it is that Michael Giesey tried to do the right thing, and got crapped on by a dysfunctional and unworkable immigration system. This has been a major problem since September 11th, and I have heard and read about too many cases similar to this happening in this country—husbands and wives being deported because their U.S. military spouses were not given the right paperwork or misinformed by U.S. immigration on what to do. Worse, because of financial constraints they could not hire immigration lawyers.
Gardner knew that his wife would have faced serious complications when he was no longer in the picture. Gardner did not want his wife to become another statistic in the vast and byzantine bureaucracy that is U.S. immigration. So Gardner fought against the clock to help his wife attain U.S. citizenship so she would have that ounce of protection. In my view it was the last loving act of a spouse who wanted to do what he could for his wife and his family before he departed this world.
The One Last Act of Love
By: Daniel Nardini
Three years before he died, Gardner urgently urged his wife Charlotte to become an American citizen. Before September 11th, many immigrants never felt the urge nor the pressure that not being a U.S. citizen could mean they could be deported. Sadly, the spouse of a U.S. citizen could be eventually deported if they themselves do not become U.S. citizens and if their American spouse dies. I suspect Gardner feared this might happen to his wife and so he did all be could to help her learn American history, quiz her on government, and work to help her improve her writing.
It eventually all paid off. Charlotte passed all of the tests and the U.S. citizenship interview and took the oath of allegiance. Not long after this Gardner’s health deteriorated and in three years he was dead. Now that his wife is a U.S. citizen she will never be deported nor lose the house and property she inherited from Gardner. In my view it was Gardner’s last loving gift to his wife—an assurance she would not be kicked out of this country by an ever-growing vindictive immigration system.
The story that broke my heart was the one of Michael Giesey who had also married a German lady and tried to bring her to this country. I say try because he was poorly informed about what he should have done early in the immigration process, and he was financially stretched to help his brother Stan who had suffered an injury. Giesey’s wife Marina should have received permanent residency, but because of major goof-ups by U.S. immigration she was ordered deported.
What really caught my attention on this story was how similar it was to Charlotte’s. Michael Giesey was also an American soldier. His case should have received special priority simply because of his service to the United States. Plus the fact that he is also a U.S. citizen, a taxpayer and he had no criminal record. Instead, the U.S. government, in Giesey’s words, had “betrayed” him. Because his wife was ordered deported he and his baby daughter went back to Germany with Marina. Yes, the U.S. government definitely betrayed them. This is a sad and truly heart-braking story.
What is truly sad and heart-braking about it is that Michael Giesey tried to do the right thing, and got crapped on by a dysfunctional and unworkable immigration system. This has been a major problem since September 11th, and I have heard and read about too many cases similar to this happening in this country—husbands and wives being deported because their U.S. military spouses were not given the right paperwork or misinformed by U.S. immigration on what to do. Worse, because of financial constraints they could not hire immigration lawyers.
Gardner knew that his wife would have faced serious complications when he was no longer in the picture. Gardner did not want his wife to become another statistic in the vast and byzantine bureaucracy that is U.S. immigration. So Gardner fought against the clock to help his wife attain U.S. citizenship so she would have that ounce of protection. In my view it was the last loving act of a spouse who wanted to do what he could for his wife and his family before he departed this world.