Filipina nurse, family face deportation

[Brian, ASN, RN]

This community is rallying behind a nurse and her family who face deportation for overstaying their visas.

NEW ROCKFORD, N.D. Marina Arroyo, who is from the Philippines, her husband and their three children were arrested last week after a traffic stop for a broken headlight.

The work visa for Arroyo expired three years ago, said Tim Counts, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Bloomington, Minn. He said the entire Arroyo family is in violation of their visas.

"Anyone here on a temporary visa is required to leave before it expires," he said. "Making an application for another visa doesn't give one the right to remain here."

Full Story: http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8T0A3481

[WakeUpRN]

Why is everyone so upset? The family had a Visa, not full citizenship. It's not permanent. Kudos to the government for stepping up and enforcing the law.

[DTCC PreRN]

Why is everyone so upset? The family had a Visa, not full citizenship. It's not permanent. Kudos to the government for stepping up and enforcing the law.

I agree with ThankfulNurse2b.

[elkpark]

I'm so baffled by this sort of thing -- what part of "breaking the law" do people not understand???

Can you imagine a newspaper article about "Community rallies around family caught knocking over convenience stores"??? :uhoh21:

[Katnip, RN]

I agree with ThankfulNurse2b.

Me too.

[CRNA2007]

Amen.

I'm so baffled by this sort of thing -- what part of "breaking the law" do people not understand???

Can you imagine a newspaper article about "Community rallies around family caught knocking over convenience stores"??? :uhoh21:

[NICUrn2B]

Its unfortunate that her visa wasn't kept up-to-date, how was she working? Illegally? Shouldn't the place she was working be fined too because they were employing someone illegally? Come on... people who are here on work visas renew their visas EVERY single year..paying at least 200 bux each time... how can you sleep knowing that you are doing something wrong????

There's no excuse for not taking action.

"That's what's so incredibly frustrating about this deal," Braunberger said. "We seem to deport the good people because we can find them. The ones you and I and most people think should be deported aren't because we can't find them."

This is true. Those immigrants who come to our country and actually contribute go thru the legal system and may have to face deportation while those who come here and ruin our country... well... they'll never have to leave and this is very disturbing.

I don't understand why someone would come to this country, which is already a privilege, and then not better themselves, have a gazzillionn children, and drain our healthcare/etc systems????

I am the child of an immigrant nurse too and my family went from no income to six figure income(s!!) and i can honestly stand up and say that theres no excuse for failure, everything is possible in America!

And i'm damn thankful and proud to be one of the lucky ones!

:angryfire

[Rep]

Their visas expired three years ago, they have ample time then to apply for green cards or adjust their status. At that time there were available immigrant visas for nurses. I wonder why they never thought of that.

The government is enforcing the law and I hope they would enforce it fairly to everyone else including the 12 million illegals here. I feel sorry for them.

[suzanne4, RN]

Feel sorry for them and the fact that they are being deported and will not be able to return to the US for a period of ten years. But that being said, she needs to take some responsibility for working here illegally for the past three years, and if on just a work visa, then chances are that her husband did not have any papers to work, wonder what he was doing?

And what about her employer for permitting her to work and not have proper documentation, something needs to be done to them as well.