Thread: I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO . . BUT I TOLD YOU SO

Reprieve for illegal immigrant
WEST BEVERLY | Deportation put on hold for Frenchwoman

January 23, 2008
BY SHAMUS TOOMEY Staff Reporter stoomey@suntimes.com
A glass of champagne, an excited dog named Fifi and ecstatic West Beverly neighbors welcomed home Corina Turcinovic on Tuesday night after the French national's deportation was put on hold and she was sprung from jail.

The 43-year-old, behind bars since Dec. 28 for overstaying her permission to come to the United States, was headed to O'Hare Airport to be deported Tuesday, her lawyer said, but she got a last-minute reprieve.

» Click to enlarge image

Corina Turcinovic, 43, was granted a stay of deportation Tuesday while a U.S. House subcommittee considers granting her legal residency.
(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)
"I'm going to go out and celebrate," she shouted with a French accent after being hugged so hard by a friend they toppled into the snow. "I don't want to sleep. I want to eat, eat, eat. Because prison food, I don't think the dog would eat it."

'Craziest day of my life'
Her return to her adopted home followed a roller-coaster day that started with a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call at the McHenry County Jail. That was followed by a trip to an immigration holding cell and the start of a car ride to O'Hare that her lawyer, John D. Colbert, thought would have ended with a 6:19 p.m. flight to Paris.

She never made it to the airport, though. After a flurry of phone calls and meetings, Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) helped get a congressional subcommittee to take another look at Turcinovic's case. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency agreed to put her deportation on hold for now.

Lipinski's office said a bill to grant her legal residency will be considered next month, and Turcinovic could get a one-year stay of deportation while it is pending.

"This is the craziest day of my life," she said. "I'm staying. I'm going. I'm staying. I'm going."

She had a good idea there could be a happy ending when a cell phone rang in the sport utility vehicle taking her to O'Hare about 4:30 p.m. She was in the back seat, and two government agents were up front. "Suddenly they got a phone call, and they turned the radio up," she said. "So I knew something was cooking. They didn't want me to hear."

Soon, the SUV turned around, and she was returned to a holding cell in west suburban Broadview. Then she was told she was being released.

Her friends, neighbors and labradoodle were waiting in West Beverly.

"I'm going to take everyone out to dinner at the best steakhouse," she declared.

Turcinovic came to the United States in 1990 after her fiance, Maro, was hit by a car while visiting. A hospital mistake left him a quadriplegic. Turcinovic, who was only allowed to be here for 90 days, married him and cared for him for 14 years. Immigration officials agreed not to deport her during that time.

Maro nearly became a U.S. citizen, but his application stalled when officials insisted he come in to be fingerprinted, which he couldn't do, Lipinski's office said. In 2004, while waiting for an agent to come to his bedside to take his prints, Maro died.

His naturalization was her best chance to stay here legally. Three years later, she was arrested and scheduled to be deported.

"This was not about immigration reform," Lipinski said Tuesday evening. "This was a government mistake."

Lipinski's office credited Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) with helping by talking to top Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Republican Representatives Steve King of Iowa and Lamar Smith of Texas also agreed the case needed a second look, Lipinski's office said.

"Tell Congressman Lipinski I adore him forever," Turcinovic said with a smile.

When the excitement dies down she will be given a full pardon and amnesty. The corrupt racist ethnocentrics in Chicago politics always take care of their own.

Esther J. Cepeda :: printer friendly » email article »


Pregunta del Dia

Theresa called me up, ticked off, with today's question: "Why her? Why does the white lady get help from being deported, but a Latina would be run out of town because she's 'an illegal'?"

I thought the same exact thing at first, Theresa. A Richard Espinosa or Maria Vasquez here trying to keep their head down, working for an employer who didn't care that their documents looked like they were printed out on an inkjet, probably wouldn't have gotten marriage proposals and intervention from a congressman, like Corina Turcinovic did. But no, we can't look at it that way.

Besides, the Mother Teresa of West Beverly -- who got screwed over by bureaucratic mishaps when her husband who was going to get her legal residency died -- didn't get the emergency intervention solely because of the news story.

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski told me his office had been working with Turcinovic for years to avoid this mess, and on Wednesday, he introduced a special bill to adjust her status. But she's still sitting in McHenry County Jail waiting deportation to France.

Even if press is all she gets, she's a perfect reminder that many, many of the illegal aliens tangled up in immigration red tape are not Hispanic and didn't drag themselves over the border to loot our country.

We're only human, Theresa; we hate to think of anyone getting preferential treatment, but we'll never get ahead by trying to keep others down.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/cepeda/745 ... 17.article



*Geez, they could barely wait to start screaming. Now all of the Illegals in Chicago will demand the same treatment*

Hmm... now we're going to hear a lot more whining ... not even France has enough cheese!!

THERE ARE MANY BLACKS IN FRANCE WITH FRENCH NAMES BECAUSE of former colonies in africa and middleeast-assuming she is white may be wrong -besides even if she is white we can find 1000 latinas as you call them that get same reprive

Theresa called me up, ticked off, with today's question: "Why her? Why does the white lady get help from being deported, but a Latina would be run out of town because she's 'an illegal'?"

I thought the same exact thing at first, Theresa. A Richard Espinosa or Maria Vasquez here trying to keep their head down, working for an employer who didn't care that their documents looked like they were printed out on an inkjet, probably wouldn't have gotten marriage proposals and intervention from a congressman, like Corina Turcinovic did. But no, we can't look at it that way.

Is this Theresa serious?!?! I remember thousands of latinoa/latinas marching last May in LA, touting Mexican, Salvadoran, & other flags DEMANDING "rights". I don't remember them "keeping their heads down".

Let's not forget ELVIRA and her publicity-seeking cronies DEMANDING we let her stay and bennies for her and her son. I also remember her militant words. THAT'S the reason latinos are now poster boys/girls for illegals. THAT'S the reason now why maybe people now assume am I also an illegal because I am latina.

Latino activists groups did this to me and other legal residents and citizens of the US and I am ANGRY. I came here and paid some heavy dues and NO WAY do illegals deserve to get a free pass, especially the ones who are IN OUR FACES as much as they are!

This woman did what she was supposed to do and got screwed over by the government. WHo took care of her finance? SHE did! WE didn't.

So put a sock in it!

miguelina quoting Elvira:

Let's not forget ELVIRA and her publicity-seeking cronies DEMANDING we let her stay and bennies for her and her son. I also remember her militant words.

"THAT'S the reason latinos are now poster boys/girls for illegals. THAT'S the reason now why maybe people now assume am I also an illegal because I am latina. "

No Elvira. It's not because your latina. My wifes a latina and sounds nothing like you. I assumed you were illegal when you opened your mouth and I heard the ignorant rants spewing from your mouth. That's how I assumed you were illegal.

Originally Posted by NoBueno

miguelina quoting Elvira:

Let's not forget ELVIRA and her publicity-seeking cronies DEMANDING we let her stay and bennies for her and her son. I also remember her militant words.

"THAT'S the reason latinos are now poster boys/girls for illegals. THAT'S the reason now why maybe people now assume am I also an illegal because I am latina. "

No Elvira. It's not because your latina. My wifes a latina and sounds nothing like you. I assumed you were illegal when you opened your mouth and I heard the ignorant rants spewing from your mouth. That's how I assumed you were illegal.

My apologies NOBueno, I was not clear. Elvira didn't say that (in bold), I did. I was stating how I feel as a legal latina who is against having illegal aliens in the US.

miguelina - Got it. So sorry. Didn't mean to put words in your mouth or misquote anyone.

Disregard my previous statement above regarding Elvira.

I will replace that statement with this one since we are on the subject.

Elvira was a loudmouth, bravado filled, ignorant invader who got what she deserved. A one way ticket back to Tijuana.

Elvira was the poster child as to what is wrong with illegals:

She dropped anchor here which is completley irresponsible to do since you know you are in this country illegally and could be deported at anytime. Must be those wonderful family values we are always hearing about.

She was a loud mouth brat who was entitled to nothing but felt she was owed everything by this country.

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Elvira was a loudmouth, bravado filled, ignorant invader who got what she deserved. A one way ticket back to Tijuana.

Elvira was the poster child as to what is wrong with illegals:

She dropped anchor here which is completley irresponsible to do since you know you are in this country illegally and could be deported at anytime. Must be those wonderful family values we are always hearing about.

She was a loud mouth brat who was entitled to nothing but felt she was owed everything by this country.

I agree 200%. She and others like her are what's hurting legal latinos in this country. As you know not all latino/a's are like her, unfortunately she and latin activists are what the world sees.