"Arrested Iranian woman gets legal status

From Staff Reports
Published: Wed, Jul. 22, 2009 02:00AMModified Tue, Jul. 21, 2009 10:25PM

Sima Fallahi, an Iranian citizen living in Carrboro who was arrested on an outstanding deportation order in 2006, was granted legal residence Tuesday.

At a hearing in the U.S. Immigration Court in Charlotte, Judge Wayne K. Houser Jr. granted Fallahi lawful permanent resident status, said W. Randall Stroud of the Araneda & Stroud Immigration Law Group.

Fallahi was arrested at the Chapel Hill Police Department as part of a routine background check while applying for a street vendor's permit. She was not allowed to call her daughter Leila, who was waiting at home alone. She was held in jail for over three months, Stroud said.

Although Fallahi sought political asylum from Iran, the judge gave her lawful permanent resident status through a different program known as "Cancellation of Removal," Stroud said.

The program gives the immigration judge the discretion to award lawful status to foreign nationals who have been in the United States more than 10 years and who are part of a U.S. citizen's family.

"Lawful permanent residence" means that Fallahi can live and work in the United States for the rest of her life, Stroud said.

Fallahi and her immigration attorney, Jorgelina Araneda, were returning to the Triangle from court in Charlotte Tuesday night."

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1616482.html


Follow the source link if interested in comments.