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Wife of US Coast Guard member arrested on base over expired visa after security check for military housing

Richard T

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Thanks for sharing the article. I am sure my view differ from some but I will post them here.

Christians should not be excited that we can break up a family, of a U.S. Coast Guard member. If you were married and had your wife deported, would you re-enlist or even quit if possible and move to be able to live with her?

So she was in the USA now illegal as her visa expired years earlier. They fell in love and wanted to get married. Now, most here think that she could just apply and get a visa right?
She can, but she first has to leave the country and the coast guard man would have to file the visa paperwork while she remains in her country. I believe too that there is a two year wait for those to apply for a visa if they have been found to be here illegally. So now the choices would be for him to leave the USA and live with her in the foreign nation while they file await for a visa. However, if he does that then he may not have the income to bring her over to the USA anymore. So they did what most married couples would do. They choose each other and tried to hide the illegal because that was the only way they could be together unless the serviceman moved to another nation with her. I should add that the wait times for some countries for a wife to get a visa is generally over a year and may be two years. So with the illegal penalty of two years, plus the up to two year process they could be waiting up to four years, assuming they were qualified. Perhaps they want to start a family, well immigration is no help to them if living in the USA. So while serving his country, he finds that his country requires breaking up his family.
Even the OT shows the sacredness of family.
Deuteronomy 24:5 "If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married. If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him."
Wow! Compare that with US Immigration Policy for a citizen marrying a foreigner.
If a US citizen is newly married to an illegal foreigner, they must apply for a visa and be apart for up to four years. Otherwise, they are to be forced to leave the USA and wait for a visa, pay the 1500 dollars or so visa fee, pass a physical, interview at the consulate and show current income that they have a sufficient amount to be admitted to the USA.

I have to say that Jesus likely would approve of a family staying together over obeying an immigration law. Why, because the law of love supercedes the law of government. This is similar to the justification some Mormons use on the issue of illegals. I have to ask: WOULD MORE ILLEGALS GET SAVED IF THE CHURCH WERE TO EXPRESS MORE COMPASSION TOWARD ILLEGALS? I think the answer is YES. Here is some evidence among Mormons that would point to this outcome. "As a result of the Church’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy, Brigham Young University history Professor Ignacio Garcia estimates that, nationwide, 70 percent of all Latino converts in the past 10 to 15 years are illegal immigrants.87 His estimate is supported by former LDS missionaries." The Mormon Church and Illegal Immigration

So here we have the classic idea of love and compassion versus the rule of law. Where do you draw the line? That is up to the individual but common sense would suggest that we should give some amnesty and a pathway to a legal visa that is reasonable. Churches too should be able to sponsor illegals, to legal status as they have done in the past with refugees. Instead of the church taking a leading role to foster families and compassion for illegals, many have allowed the agenda of Trump to vilify all illegals. To me that is not good Christian policy. Many churches and leaders (political and religious) seem to be out of line on part of this immigration issue. Again, the law of love sometimes supercedes the law of man, or even religious law. This was Jesus's position against the Pharisees. I might well argue that today's church is full of Pharisees. I am no liberal either, I just am offering a biblical perspective of US immigration based on love and compassion that is similar to Reagan. The church should involve itself in cases like this serviceman's plight and stand in love. (assuming his wife is not a criminal)

I am not saying that the US should have open borders. I am saying that the policies of Reagan and the GOP in the 80s, were more in line with how the church should be reacting at the immigration problems of the USA today.
Amnesty for those who have been in the country for so many years, that can show they support themselves and have no criminal record. Plus, an easier pathway for any child or non-citizen that is currently married to a US citizen.

See that does not protect criminals or gang members, it frees up ICE to concentrate on the worst for deportation while embracing the productive illegals who are working in the USA.
 
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BCP1928

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Thanks for sharing the article. I am sure my view differ from some but I will post them here.

Christians should not be excited that we can break up a family, of a U.S. Coast Guard member. If you were married and had your wife deported, would you re-enlist or even quit if possible and move to be able to live with her?

So she was in the USA now illegal as her visa expired years earlier. They fell in love and wanted to get married. Now, most here think that she could just apply and get a visa right?
She can, but she first has to leave the country and the coast guard man would have to file the visa paperwork while she remains in her country. I believe too that there is a two year wait for those to apply for a visa if they have been found to be here illegally. So now the choices would be for him to leave the USA and live with her in the foreign nation while they file await for a visa. However, if he does that then he may not have the income to bring her over to the USA anymore. So they did what most married couples would do. They choose each other and tried to hide the illegal because that was the only way they could be together unless the serviceman moved to another nation with her. I should add that the wait times for some countries for a wife to get a visa is generally over a year and may be two years. So with the illegal penalty of two years, plus the up to two year process they could be waiting up to four years, assuming they were qualified. Perhaps they want to start a family, well immigration is no help to them if living in the USA. So while serving his country, he finds that his country requires breaking up his family.
Even the OT shows the sacredness of family.
Deuteronomy 24:5 "If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married. If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him."
Wow! Compare that with US Immigration Policy for a citizen marrying a foreigner.
If a US citizen is newly married to an illegal foreigner, they must apply for a visa and be apart for up to four years. Otherwise, they are to be forced to leave the USA and wait for a visa, pay the 1500 dollars or so visa fee, pass a physical, interview at the consulate and show current income that they have a sufficient amount to be admitted to the USA.

I have to say that Jesus likely would approve of a family staying together over obeying an immigration law. Why, because the law of love supercedes the law of government. This is similar to the justification some Mormons use on the issue of illegals. I have to ask: WOULD MORE ILLEGALS GET SAVED IF THE CHURCH WERE TO EXPRESS MORE COMPASSION TOWARD ILLEGALS? I think the answer is YES. Here is some evidence among Mormons that would point to this outcome. "As a result of the Church’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy, Brigham Young University history Professor Ignacio Garcia estimates that, nationwide, 70 percent of all Latino converts in the past 10 to 15 years are illegal immigrants.87 His estimate is supported by former LDS missionaries." The Mormon Church and Illegal Immigration

So here we have the classic idea of love and compassion versus the rule of law. Where do you draw the line? That is up to the individual but common sense would suggest that we should give some amnesty and a pathway to a legal visa that is reasonable. Churches too should be able to sponsor illegals, to legal status as they have done in the past with refugees. Instead of the church taking a leading role to foster families and compassion for illegals, many have allowed the agenda of Trump to vilify all illegals. To me that is not good Christian policy. Many churches and leaders (political and religious) seem to be out of line on part of this immigration issue. Again, the law of love sometimes supercedes the law of man, or even religious law. This was Jesus's position against the Pharisees. I might well argue that today's church is full of Pharisees. I am no liberal either, I just am offering a biblical perspective of US immigration based on love and compassion that is similar to Reagan. The church should involve itself in cases like this serviceman's plight and stand in love. (assuming his wife is not a criminal)

I am not saying that the US should have open borders. I am saying that the policies of Reagan and the GOP in the 80s, were more in line with how the church should be reacting at the immigration problems of the USA today.
Amnesty for those who have been in the country for so many years, that can show they support themselves and have no criminal record. Plus, an easier pathway for any child or non-citizen that is currently married to a US citizen.

See that does not protect criminals or gang members, it frees up ICE to concentrate on the worst for deportation while embracing the productive illegals who are working in the USA.
I gather that you are a US citizen now travelling abroad. In the present political climate you should be very careful about what you post. The government is now paying attention to things like that and you might not be let back in. Many Christians with influence in government would find what you just posted to be treasonous.
 
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Aryeh Jay

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...I look forward to Melania's deportation.

Melania is a 100% certified US citizen who skillfully used her anchor baby and marriage to the President of the United States to secure citizenship for herself and parents.
 
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RileyG

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...I look forward to Melania's deportation.
Why? She’s here legally and married to the president. Totally off topic!

Edit: disregard, I was wrong
 
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RileyG

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RileyG

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She didn't come here legally.
Ope! My mistake! Apparently, she didn’t become a US citizen for 10 years….
 
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Richard T

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I gather that you are a US citizen now travelling abroad. In the present political climate you should be very careful about what you post. The government is now paying attention to things like that and you might not be let back in. Many Christians with influence in government would find what you just posted to be treasonous.
Thanks for your concern. It reflects the political climate that we have today when one has to contemplate that free speech and other idea may not be welcome in America. I likely am not mainstream, but I would be a poor Christian if I just believed something and said nothing.
 
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civilwarbuff

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Ope! My mistake! Apparently, she didn’t become a US citizen for 10 years….
That does not mean a person is not here legally. Was she not here legally?
 
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RileyG

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That does not mean a person is not here legally. Was she not here legally?
She’s here legally now? She came to the United States in 1996, and wasn’t a citizen until several years later. Will she deported? I doubt that.
 
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RileyG

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Melania is a 100% certified US citizen who skillfully used her anchor baby and marriage to the President of the United States to secure citizenship for herself and parents.
I’m no expert, but what happens when an American marries someone from a different country? Do they get a visa?
 
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