Deportation saga continues in Cleveland
Originally published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Mom given choice: deportation with, without kids
01/17/04
Susan Jaffe
Plain Dealer Reporter
Amina Silmi, a Lakewood mother fighting a deportation order, has 30 days to decide whether she will take her three children with her to her native Venezuela.
Silmi, 35, asked for a delay in the order, but federal immigration officials turned her down Friday. It was her second request. She had won a two-week reprieve Jan. 2 from an immigration official.
As American citizens, her children - ages 11, 6 and 5 - can stay. Silmi was born in Venezuela to Palestinian parents and entered the United States 13 years ago as a visitor. Immigration officials ruled that she overstayed her visa.
Silmi said that she has "absolutely nobody" in Venezuela and that her remaining family is in this country. Leaving her children behind is unthinkable, she said. Silmi's husband, Ibrahim Salti, was deported last month on an immigration violation.
"I'm so sad right now," said Silmi, who had just heard of the decision. "I like America and I don't want to leave."
She was given the option of taking the children with her, said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security.
"Our goal is not to separate the family, but that decision rests with her," he said.
Information that Silmi and her lawyer provided in the case was insufficient to warrant another deferral, Palmore said. He declined to describe what additional information they could have given.
Silmi's lawyer, Svetlana Schreiber, did not know what else could be done.
"We provided a plethora of evidence," Schreiber said, including medical documentation of two of the children's disabilities.
In a meeting Monday with immigration officials, Schreiber also provided a copy of a psychological evaluation showing that Silmi suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because she was a victim of domestic violence.
If she had more time, Silmi could apply for other visas, including one available under the Violence Against Women Act, Schreiber said. If she had an employer willing to petition for her, she'd be eligible for a green card. The government could grant Silmi more time, Schreiber said.
"They have nothing to gain by removing her," she said. "Why this woman? She is the mother of two disabled children and poses no threat to society. All she's asking for is the right to stay in this country and work so that she can raise her children."
Silmi has an appeal pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals of the U.S. Department of Justice. Palmore said that despite the appeal, she can still be deported.
U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, whose district includes Lakewood, asked Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge two weeks ago to stop Silmi's deportation but has received no answer.
Kucinich strongly disagrees with this decision, said Kucinich spokesman Doug Gordon.
"He believes that the best thing for this family is that they remain together and they remain in this region."
The children want to stay too.
Silmi's youngest daughter, Belal, 5, recently told her she wants to grow up to be a teacher. Another daughter, Haiat, 11, also has a dream.
"My oldest said, 'I want to be lawyer so I can defend you,' " Silmi said.
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