The other side of deportation: An American struggles to prepare for life without husband

[Captain Ewok 1,857]

LAWRENCE, KAN. — Each ordinary moment now seemed worthy of preservation, so Madina Salaty, 45, turned on her cellphone camera and hit record. “Four days left,” she said, her voice and the video both shaky as her husband leashed the dog and headed toward their front door. He walked past the framed picture of their wedding in 2011, past the University of Kansas flag on their porch, past the perennials they had planted together in the garden. He led the dog onto the wide sidewalks and manicured lawns of downtown Lawrence, where the lampposts were painted red, white and blue.

“We are going on a walk,” Salaty said, narrating the video, focusing the camera on her husband, Zunu Zunaid, 37. He turned back to her and smiled.

“Hi, baby,” he said.

“Hi, baby,” she said.

It is the latter of those separations that has increasingly become the focus of attempts to overhaul the country’s immigration policies, since more than 100,000 American citizens lose a spouse or parent to deportation each year. President Obama has asked the Department of Homeland Security to review the “humanity” of its deportation procedures. At a time when nearly one-fourth of undocumented immigrants have children or spouses who are citizens, the government now faces a choice between two priorities: Deport undocumented immigrants who have broken the law? Or protect the citizens those immigrants so often provide for?

...continued at Washington Post.com

From the VJ Team, we wish them the best in finding a solution. Hang in there!

[Merrytooth 5,748]

He overstayed his student visa for more than 15 years and married a US citizen wife. So why can't he AOS here?

There are also plenty of Americans struggle daily without their spouses or family while going through the immigration process LEGALLY.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Horrible reporting.

No details on why he is being deported and can't AOS.

[belinda63 2,981]

It mentions a DUI but I suspect there is more to it than that. Maybe serious injury or death as a result or multiple DUIs.

[JohnR! 5,495]

These stories are sad. We are not that type of country...

[UK_Fan 192]

I cried. I couldn't imagine if that was me. I remember before I AOSed, I had these kind of dreams and thank god they had never became a reality. Good luck to them. It's not fair.

[UK_Fan 192]

On an unrelated note, how did he manage to become a Best Buy manager without proper documentation?

[Trav&Shell 83]

Oh good grief...wow...this story was heart-wrenching. Think I'm going to go cry now, because this story made me miss the man who is right now napping in my living room, as if I was the one on that plane going back home without my other half...

[thedude6752000 360]

Funny how the nightmare everyone is so glad to avoid is the daily reality for hundreds of thousands of American citizens like me, hundreds here on our very own VJ. If he didn't want to be deported, he shouldn't have overstayed the visa. He's getting what he deserves. Anyone who tells CR-1 and IR-1 people to quite whining has to agree with me on this or else they're a total hypocrite. And as usual, no story on the hundreds of thousands waiting without their spouses like me.

[Boiler 43,359]

I read this report a few days back.

Came to the conclusion that Journalism is a career entered into by those who failed to get a job at McDonalds.

Obviously lots left out, I also assumed a criminal history.

[Boiler 43,359]

From the VJ Team, we wish them the best in finding a solution. Hang in there!

The obvious solution would have been for her to go on the plane with him.

But it seems their relationship is not that important.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Funny how the nightmare everyone is so glad to avoid is the daily reality for hundreds of thousands of American citizens like me, hundreds here on our very own VJ. If he didn't want to be deported, he shouldn't have overstayed the visa. He's getting what he deserves. Anyone who tells CR-1 and IR-1 people to quite whining has to agree with me on this or else they're a total hypocrite. And as usual, no story on the hundreds of thousands waiting without their spouses like me.

Oy vey....

The obvious solution would have been for her to go on the plane with him.

But it seems their relationship is not that important.

You can assume a lot when you don't know the full story. Speculation can be so titillating...

[Boiler 43,359]

You can assume a lot when you don't know the full story. Speculation can be so titillating...

Do you know the full story?

[JohnR! 5,495]

Do you know the full story?

QED

[Boiler 43,359]

So why did they not file and adjust in country?