Draconian U.S. Immigration Policies Separate Family
The US government plans to give an immigration amnesty to law breakers that violated US law by illegally immigrating to the US, but have harshly used immigration law to keep families that fell afoul of complicated immigration laws apart:
“People have the impression before marrying someone from another country that it’s a pretty straightforward process,” Emery said. “But it’s very complicated, and it’s easy to make a mistake. And if you make a mistake like Keith and Akiko Campbell, the punishments are very draconian.”
The Campbells say that when Akiko’s fiancee visa didn’t arrive before their planned wedding in Hawaii in June 1998, they were told by an official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to go ahead and get married and apply to change her status after she was settled in the United States.
They were staggered when they went to the immigration office in Tampa in March 2000 for an interview to secure her permanent residency and were told Akiko wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the country because she committed fraud.
Campbells have been working with lawyers and filing unsuccessful appeals since then. In 2005, they got a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice saying their visa petition was approved. But Akiko would have to return to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to get it.
Akiko packed up her two sons for a visit with family in Japan. But when she went to the embassy, the visa was flatly denied, and she was told she couldn’t go back home. The couple believes they were deliberately misled by the government to get her out of the country.
Citing privacy laws, Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Chris Bentley said the agency can’t comment on specific immigration cases. In general, “We’re bound by making determinations based on what the law says,” he said.
Akiko, who had lived in the United States for 9 years is currently living with their children are living in Nagano Prefecture, while Keith is in America fighting this injustice. If you want to find out more what’s going on with their case or want to help, please visit: http://www.bringakikohome.com/ or http://www.americanfamiliesunited.com/
