Another uncle just passed away...

[footprintsinconc]

I just answered the phone as i replied to a post and found out that another uncle of mine just passed away a few hours ago in pakistan. he was my mom's older brother. she lost her first brother back in january this year, and now another. she's the youngest of her 13 siblings. there are a few of her siblings that have been very sick for some time now and i am afraid that she is going to have to go through this again. and i cant be there to comfort her personally. she's back in canada.

i cant even visit her primarily because the lack of interest of our government to rectify the immigration crisis that we have had for the last seven or so years! i have been in que for a green card since 2004 or 2005 (i cant remember anymore!) and still no word on when i will get it. in order for me to travel, i need to apply for travel documents blah blah blah ..... and that takes time, but they are only good for a year and they cost a lot...... its just ridiculous! instead of our govt fixing problems here in the US, we have been busy in the "extracurricular activities" abroad that is draining this country of its resources and financially.

sorry it got long, had to get it off my chest.

[Ed62]

Sorry to hear of the death. That's a lot to handle in a short time period. If it helps, tell her we'll be saying a prayer for the loved ones left behind.

Ed

[scmhogg]

Sorry to hear about your uncle. My mother came from a large family. She was also the youngest. When one of her siblings or their spouse would die, it seemed to take a piece out of her.

I share your frustration with the INS. Before my parents became citizens, my mother had to return to England for her father's funeral. There was a lot of red tape. She had to prove that the families taxes were up to date before they would let her leave.

We also had to go to the post office every January to register as aliens. I don't know when they stopped that.

I have been trying to get a copy of my naturalization certificate, that was lost or stolen, for years. If I didn't have a passport, I would be in trouble.

Steve

[dbhost]

Sorry to hear about the loss. I went through a similar loss losing my mothers brother, and my aunts husbands within a 2 year time frame. That was not all that long ago either. It sucks to know they are gone, but my life is far richer for them having been here and shared their lives with me...

As far as the travel problems go... I hate to say it, but you are completely correct. Had this been 7 years ago, or pre 9-11-2001, you would not be having such a tough time getting to the middle east and back. An unfortunate side effect for the innocent.

No worse than what U.S. citizens of Japanese and German ancestry had to put up with from our government during WW-2.

I guess they might dig up McCarthy and run him for office again?

[jking]

Sorry to hear about your loss & the paperwork situation. It's a tough combination to deal with.

[JR]

Omar, I'm sorry for your troubles. I hope your mother is able to be with her family during their time of need.

As far as the travel problems go... I hate to say it, but you are completely correct. Had this been 7 years ago, or pre 9-11-2001, you would not be having such a tough time getting to the middle east and back. An unfortunate side effect for the innocent.

I'm not sure the problem is worse now than pre-9/11.

Focusing on the particular issue Omar raises, and NOT the greater issue of immigration, we have a real problem with adminstering proper visas. We have not funded the State Department to deal with this issue. I used to work for a Canadian company prior to 9/11, and we had many immigrants at my facility. It took years to process a green-card request, with many requests getting lost or misplaced. Once a request was granted, an "appointment" with the State Department office in LA was arranged.

In order to get into this appointment, the applicant and his family would have to stand in the street outside the federal building in downtown LA starting at 2am. Any later than that and the line would be too long to deal with the number of applicants with "appointments" on that day. Downtown LA is a place which is not appropriate for families at 2am.

There are similar issues with temporary worker permits. I raise these issues not to present an "America in crisis" case, a la Lou Dobbs or your favorite pundit. I only mean to point out that among the many immigration issues is the very practical one of having the computer systems and staff necessary to handle the normal everyday flow of people into and out of our country.

As Omar points out, the results are human consequences and some real heartache.

JR

[poolhound]

Omar,

Sorry to hear of your loss, our thoughts are with you and your family.

[dkerfoot]

Omar, I am truly sorry for the loss and do feel for your frustration with the process. I am a little confused though. You are complaining about "our" government, yet it doesn't sound as though you are a US citizen. Please correct me if I have misunderstood. Which government are you referring to?

primarily because the lack of interest of our government to rectify the immigration crisis that we have had for the last seven or so years! i have been in que for a green card since 2004 or 2005

its just ridiculous! instead of our govt fixing problems here in the US