For heaven's sake, don't lose your green card
My good friend Lisa-Marie is British but she's moved to the US after marrying an American. She's currently getting her citizenship the right way, through spending the money and the time rather than just hunkering down and waiting for a political amnesty decision. So she's one of these legal immigrants that I am okay with. In fact, I'm all in favor of her sopecifically since she is a friend.
Now hear her dismay in a recent email as to how the system works. Or doesn't work, as the case may be.
Dear Dave,
Shortly after Christmas day, [son] and [daughter] went to Kansas to visit their dad, and his wife and family. There dad is visiting his wife and family there, and he wanted [son] and [daughter] to be there also.
[Oldest son] is all grown up (sniff sniff) and has a very busy life, and so my sweetheart decided to surprise me with a little get away to celebrate our anniversary.
So we loaded up the four wheelers, and headed out of town.
[Husband] booked us into a sweet little cabin in the woods, and we spent every daylight hour exploring on our four wheelers. It really was a wonderful trip, and we have a wonderful anniversary. What a great husband I have.
As we packed to leave, we loaded the car, and locked it, and walked into the lodge to settle up with the bill.
When we got back to the car, we had been robbed. Someone had broken in as fast as that, and taken everything. There was no-one in sight.
We could live without the clothes and shoes they had taken, at least I had no laundry to do when we got home. [Husband] said I am beautiful (liar) without makeup, so we could live without that (not sure if the rest of the world is ready for that though)!!! They took [husband]'s work phone and iPod, but they are replacable. They took lots of things, but the real hardship was they got my wallet.
We cancelled the cards with no problems. And we did it in time so that there was no activity on them. So that was a real blessing. They got my drivers licence with my address on it, and the house keys. So we have had the house re-keyed. The problem is they got every form of ID that I have. Including....you guessed it...my greencard.
The DMV said that they will give me a new licence, but that it will only be valid till November, and unless I have a new greencard then, that I will no longer be able to drive in the United States.
However, Homeland Security are not going to be that helpful.
Well you would think that if you got robbed, that you were the victim. Apparently not, at least not if you are speaking to Homeland Security in a language other then spanish. Sorry to be that way, but if you sat in this system like I have for the past 5 years, you would understand that my sympathy with those that wish to skip the system and make my expenses double is lacking.
I called immigration and spoke for several hours, and this is the best that they can do for me. I have to file again from the start. But they will only give me a conditional greencard that is valid till November. However, they said that they have such a back log, that the new greencard will not arrive at my home until next January. So tell me how a card that expires in novemeber, will help me in January!!! But it gets better. In July, I have to file again. This one is to remove the conditions and get a valid greencard. I have to do it in July because you have to file 90 days before your old card (that they havent sent you yet) expires. To get that card, I have to go through as much as I did when i was trying to get my first ever visa. And the expense will be through the roof. I asked how long it will take to get that card, and all they could say is, sometime next year.
I asked them why they couldnt just print a new card, as they have all my details in two countries on file. They have everything but my shoe size. My fingerprints, blood, medical history, chest x rays, brain scans, tb tests, std tests that they do, as well as their own medical exams, and criminal background checks. And I don't have so much as a parking or speeding ticket. But they can't do that. That would be too easy. OH NO, here they have to put you back in debt so you can barely afford to live, and then smile as they ask if there is anything else they can do for you! Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh. So I asked why they have such a back log, and this is the stinger coming. They said that their immigration agents are dealing with illegal cases, and so the paying people that have done the system honestly have to wait. Apparently there is a bill waiting to be passed, giving all illegals that are presently in this country immunity, and that when the bill is passed, these people who broke the law will automatically go in the system and get greencards, without the expense I have had to go to. So not only does it cost me the earth, I am in the line behind the criminals. And yet all they have to do is make a card and laminate. It's not like any of my details have changed, and the card is only a year old, and I haven't changed. AND, even if the police had my card handed in, it is invalid as soon as it is reported lost, so I still have to go through all this no matter what. If the person that stole my stuff tried to use anything, they would get caught. Everything is reported, and even the cell phone is not able to work now. And I contacted the Bishop who immediately de-activated my recommend. So the crook with my stuff has nothing of real value. He has my clothes and shoes, and iPod, a phone that doesn't work, my drivers licence that is no good to him, credit cards that are cancelled, and all the other kinds of stuff you have in your wallet. So nothing that is any real good to him, but devastating to me.
After reporting a lost card, I have ten days to file for a new one. I have to include the police report with that. However, the police say I will have the report in 14 days!!! LOL. You have to laugh really or blood would be spilled. So [husband] has been speaking with the County Sheriff to try and speed things up.
When I cancelled my library card, I was asked to bring back all books that I have immediately. I laughed as I handed in the level 3 reading books that I had for [daughter]. Who thought that a library could be so serious. But if you have no proof of your residency here, you will be suprised at how many doors close to you and the rights that you loose. Crazy that I can't even use the library without a greencard. Even though they have all my details on file and could send a new one to the address they have in their file, and they would know it came to the right person. Untill immigration help me, I can't even get a Blockbuster video card.
They said that if I leave the state, and cross a border, and get pulled over for a random check, that they will detain and deport me. How is this fair?
And there I was thinking I was the victim of robbery!!! LOL What was I thinking.
Is it me or is the world upside down these days? And I'm the one at the back of the line because of the people who didn't follow the system are being given a break by the government. Who said crime doesnt pay!!!!! Certainly not Homeland Security.
Good thing about it all is I have [my husband]. We did have a wonderful anniversary till all this happened. I'm lucky to be treated so special. I am still very lucky, and even this situation could be worse. Its just expensive limiting and frustrating. I was so close to being done with all this too. And now I am back to square one.
Working and paying my taxes, and living honestly and loving this land, and pledging my alliegence to the flag has made me of no more worth to this system the thief that stole my things, or the coyote that smuggles in illegals. It really is an unfair system.
Funny thing is, I hear people all the time saying that this land isn't as free as they want it. And I have to laugh, because it isn't until you have your freedoms taken away that you realise what you had. imagine how unfree you would feel if you no longer had the right to move about your own country, or drive, or access your own bank account.
We had been planning on going to Alaska before [oldest son] went on his mission, and get sealed to him there so that we could have family present, but this will not be completed by then, and so prevents us from such a simple thing.
I would love to leave my Green Card in the safe at home, but the law states that you have to have it with you and be able to produce it upon demand. Oh well. What can you do! It's still a very small trial compared to most.
Dad sent me an email once, and it encouraged you to photo copy everything in your wallet in case of theft. I did that immediately, and I have to say, that after having my wallet stolen, that it was priceless information. You will only remember a certain amount of things to cancel, and even then, you won't have the phone numbers with you to cancel them, and there are things that seem unimportant. As soon as we got home, I was able to look in my folder with the photocopies, and in their I had all the numbers to contact to cancel things, and also, because of this, I knew I had missed nothing. Even a Blockbuster card can end up costing you money in the wrong hands. They could rent a bunch of movies, and never return them, and you get the bill. It is a nice feeling that, even though someone took something from you that made life harder, that you cancelled it in enough time, that none of it was any use to them. And just a tip. If ever you have a credit card stolen, when you cancel it, you an ask that if it is used by the thief, that it comes up on the cash register that they are to call the police, or else it will only come up as declined, and then it is harder to catch the person. Good to know.
We may not be able to rid the world of all the bad guys, but we can sure protect ourselves. So i would encourage anyone reading this to make photocopies of everything they have in their wallets. Other then my greencard, my wallet being stolen would have caused me no inconvenience, it was just that one valuable thing and a failing system that caused that problem. And sadly for me, that one card affects so many other things. Oh, and please don't take for granted the freedoms that you DO HAVE. This is a GREAT land.
At least for now, we are still allowed to worship Christ and not Buddha, so we shall just be on our knees and leave it in the Lord's hands. He's never let us down....but I have a nagging feeling that He would like me to learn patience!!
I hope your New Years got ushered in with less fuss, and I wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Love you all, Lisa-Marie xoxoxoxooxxo