With the laws and regulations that have taken effect recently in the United States, it is now harder than ever to obtain citizenship for immigrants, even after living here for 13 years.<\/p>\n
Sara Hamdi, a 19-year-old Sinclair Community College student, knows this struggle as much as anyone.<\/p>\n
For three years her family has been fighting for their mother, Fatiha Elgharib, to remain in the United States and receive citizenship.<\/p>\n
Hamdi\u2019s family moved to the U.S. from Morocco when she was five years old with a legal visa. They have followed all of the proper procedures to gain citizenship since being here, according to Hamdi.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy family has always done the right thing by going to the immigration office every month, paying taxes and doing the necessary paperwork to stay,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Hamdi said the deportation process was set in motion when immigration officers came knocking on their door after her mother didn\u2019t appear on a court date. The letter for her to appear had been sent to an old address.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn June 27, officers came knocking on the door saying that they sent a letter for (my mother) to appear in court on June 14. The process is that when you have to appear in front of them, they are to send a letter and notify your lawyer,\u201d she said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t notify our lawyer and they sent it to the wrong address when they had the right one on file. Nobody knew she had a court date because we most definitely would have went.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Elgharib spent five months in jail in 2007, Hamdi took over taking care of her three siblings and the house while trying to keep herself together in her personal life and at school.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she was gone I was like the second mom. I was a junior in high school and took care of all three kids, including myself and the house,\u201d she said. \u201cShe is losing hope right now but I don\u2019t want her to because that puts a strain on me. I almost failed my junior year having to do all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamdi said last year when her mother was about to board a plane to be deported back to Morocco, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio granted her a one year pass to complete the necessary paperwork to stay.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother went on May 4 to visit the officers again and they said that regardless of what she does it\u2019s the law that she has to go back,\u201d she said. \u201cThey gave her another date in August to see what they were going to do with her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamdi said her mothers appeal has been denied but there is still one in her brother\u2019s name saying that Elgharib is his primary caregiver. The boy is a special needs child and Hamdi\u2019s family is still hoping his case will win in their favor.<\/p>\n
In the meantime Elgharib\u2019s attorney, George Katchmer, is trying to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, if the family can raise enough money, Hamdi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI planned a fundraiser and we are planning more events to raise money to hopefully take the case to Supreme Court where the lawyer wants to fight it,\u201d she said. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s $40,000 to pay the lawyer and he wants $20,000 upfront before he starts doing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
With her mother being unable to work, her father is taking care of the household expenses and Hamdi\u2019s education. They are relying on fundraisers and donations to raise the money needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are planning on hopefully getting a car wash set up in Englewood to raise more money,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also have a website set up that tells my mom\u2019s story and to get support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dayton Daily News<\/em> has covered the story extensively for the past three years and while the Hamdi\u2019s received support from the coverage, they also experienced some hurtful comments from people who don\u2019t support the family.<\/p>\n Hamdi said she stays quiet at school because she doesn\u2019t want to risk anything, but she is going to continue to fight for her mother no matter what.<\/p>\n \u201cI pay for this and I value my education so I don\u2019t want to risk anything that will get me kicked out of school,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I am not going to stop fighting. I refuse to let them take my mom away from us especially considering the fact we haven\u2019t done anything wrong. In my family when you do something wrong we are going to fess up to it. I know a lot of people say that but in my family we honestly do.\u201d<\/p>\n Service Box<\/p>\n