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Show In Gary's Opinion... Immiffipatioini Laws Aire fiUefak5 By GARY R. BLODGETT Clipper News Editor Some things in life just don't seem fair! TOPPING this list of unfair happenings is the Lucas Erasmus Family of Farmington. Remember the incident reported on the front page of the Clipper-Reflex last week? What I can't understand is why our federal government is so "sticky" about some things and so lenient that it is pathetic about other things. WHY, FOR example, are people allowed into this country coun-try from Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, etc., without hardly a second thought -- and without any concern as to their background. They are accepted because they either need a homeland or they want to improve their lifestyle. People of southeast Asia were forced from their country and sought political asylum in the United States. So did the Erasmus family. They, too, were forced, at gunpoint, from their native Rhodesia"- forced into South Africa where they applied for visa to the United States. THAT'S WHERE the trouble began. They had not lived in South Africa, so technically the visa was illegal. But they had been accepted into political asylum in the United States - and have lived here for nearly five years -- meanwhile applying for American Citizenship. NOW, BECAUSE of a "fluke" incident about a year ago, the issue has been brought to light - and the Erasmus Family faces deportation. For nearly five years the Erasmus Family has lived an exemplary life. They have worked and paid local, state and federal taxes, obeyed the law, never relied on anyone for anything, and their three children have been educated in the Davis School District. THEY ARE well-liked and respected where ever they go. I know because they moved into Bountiful just around the corner from me and we both attended the Bountiful LDS 18th Ward. Now they face deportation because they are honest people, proud of their Rhodesian heritage. ABOUT A year ago they were visiting a missionary friend - the same one who baptized them several years ago. and decided to have dinner across the border in Mexico. They were out of the country (USA) for only a few hours. But upon their return, a border guard asked their nationality nation-ality and being honest they answered "Rhodesian, but we have proper papers." They could have lied and said American Amer-ican and probably nothing would have happened. Lucas and his wife, Cookie, look American and both speak fluent English. BUT BECAUSE of their honest answer, the guard inspected in-spected their passports and discovered the papers were from South Africa and the Erasmus Family did not live in South Africa. They were detained overnight and several weeks later were informed that they had broken a federal ' immigration law and must appear in District Immigration Court in Denver. i The Erasmus Family appeared in District Immigration Court in Denver last June 3 and have another court hearing Aug. 8 in Denver before the same judge. IF AT that time the Judge rules against continued asylum asy-lum the Erasmus Family could appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals in Washington, D.C. That appeal would take a minimum of six months and up to three years to be heard. . . The Erasmus Family faces the decision of waiting for the appeal and having the cloud of deportation still hanging over their heads or accepting the denial of the judge and seek asylum in Canada. LUCAS notes that by staying without knowing his future would be hard on the family and his business. "How could I justify offering a service and not knowing how long I will I be in the country?" '' Meanwhile, Lucas has been trying everything to keep his family here. The family has met personally with Con- gressman James V. Hansen -- who resides in Farmington , when Congress is not in session -- and has contact with i both the U.S. senators from Utah. CONGRESSMAN Hansen says he can not intervene "as h much as I would like to" because the incident is a legal y case and out of his jurisdiction or political powers. It's y very frustrating, but only the courts can decide this matter." But if Congress makes the laws, why can't they have at least limited jurisdiction or power over situations like this. It's sad that something like this can happen in America! |