Familial report from the West Coast

[mizarchivist]

The immigration laws are now having an effect on my family.

My cousin Jody (the one who lived at my house for a summer our first year in Lexington) has been living with her boyfriend for a few years. When the boyfriend went home to Tijuana he was denied entry back to California. Ever. They had been discussing marriage, and the issue has now been forced on them. My aunt's flipping out a bit by it all. I guess he'll have to be in Mexico for a year before he can return after they get hitched. In other maybe soon to be related news, Jody's been accepted to law school and starts soon. I wish them luck. Urgh :/

Comments

[penk.livejournal.com]

Why was he denied? (academic curiosity - trying to get a better handle on how immigration stuff impacts Ordinary People)

NFC

[mizarchivist]

I'm waiting for direct word from Jody at this point. Dad was pretty fuzzy on details.

[drwex]

TEH SUQ! I'm sorry hon.

[moechus.livejournal.com]

Assuming he was in the U.S. and out-of-status for a year or more, he is inadmissible for ten years. If he and your cousin were to marry, he could get a waiver of the bar if they could show that refusing to let him back in would cause her extreme hardship. Not easy but it has been done. And yeah, the processing can take a year.

The only permanent bar (you used the word "ever") that I know of is for aggravated felonies (defined very differently from what you might think). There are also complications that can result from previous deportation proceedings.

Email me (moechusatsymbolyahoodotcom) if you have any questions or ask me the next time you see me at the Diesel (won't be there the next two weeks).

[mizarchivist]

update on this is here. I hope the lawyer is correct about their chances and as far as I know, there's no felonies involved. Thanks for the info.