Thread: Long-distance love-A SOB Story

Long-distance love saga continues as harbor cop's wife stuck in immigration limbo this holiday

BY Erica Pearson
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, February 13th 2011, 4:00 AM

Queens harbor cop will be half a world away from his wife this Valentine's Day - she has been stuck in immigration limbo in her native Ecuador for years.

"It's a sin to love somebody so much and then to suffer like this," said Paul Mazzarelli, 38.

Mazzarelli's Fresh Meadows neighbor introduced him to Natalie Silva, 30, five years ago when the cosmetician was here visiting her mother.

They fell in love and spent nearly two years dating long distance. They even had a romantic rendezvous in Niagara Falls.

The two bonded over a shared love of karaoke, celebrated their August birthdays together and found buffalo wings at Ecuador hot spot Hunters, which Mazzarelli says is "like Hooters without the girls."

In 2007, while flying from Quito to New York, they first talked about getting married, but after they landed, everything fell apart.

Immigration officials pulled Silva aside and said that because she had overstayed her tourist visa by six years as a teen, she was being sent to a Jersey detention center.

"They treated me like I was a criminal," Silva said. "That was the ugliest day in my life because I felt like they were taking my love away."

Silva had told Mazzarelli about overstaying, but since she had gotten a new visa and been careful with it, she was shocked to be detained.

Terrified inside the detention center, Silva decided not to fight the charge and agreed to be deported.

"I was heartbroken," Mazzarelli said.

"She overstayed and I understand. But come on. You're not talking about an A-1 felony. You're talking about a 17-year-old girl who made a bad decision."

Since then, Mazzarelli has been trying without success to bring her back. They were married in Ecuador in 2008 and filed paperwork asking for Silva to be allowed in the U.S.

Last spring, they were told all of her paperwork had to be done in Panama, and that they had to wait at least eight months to get a new appointment because of a backlog.

A USCIS spokeswoman declined to comment.

In the meantime, life has become even harder for Mazzarelli, whose mom died last month.

"To not be able to give him a hug - that kills me," said Silva. "I'm looking forward to spending every day with him, not just Valentine's Day."

Mazzarelli told his buddies that if his love ever does step back on American soil, he may throw a parade.

"Like the San Gennaro Feast," he said. "Carry her around on a chair for seven days? Maybe!"

epearson@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... z1DtzB4dLH

Seems to me, if you really loved her, you'd just relocate to Ecuador.

The two bonded over a shared love of karaoke, celebrated their August birthdays together and found buffalo wings at Ecuador hot spot Hunters, which Mazzarelli says is "like Hooters without the girls."

Ah geez....these SOB stories get sappier every time! If you love her so much then move to Ecuador. I'm tired of the endless attempts by the MSM to vilify this country because of our immigration laws.

Immigration officials pulled Silva aside and said that because she had overstayed her tourist visa by six years as a teen, she was being sent to a Jersey detention center.

LOL...6 years!! No wonder you're having problems....

"This is truly a touching story, especially the day before Valentine's Day!"

He was going to ask her, her immigration status when they first got together,
But he didn't want her to feel racially profiled!

If she over stayed her visa by 6 years regardless of what she was told or claimed to have been told she is an ILLEGAL This would be the same as someone finding a large sum of money in their bank account that was not theirs and utilizing the funds until the mistake was recognized by the bank or rightful owner of the funds; would they be responsible for the funds? Too many lawyers playing fast and lose with our Immigration Laws to trust this as just an honest mistake and not someone attempting to take advantage of a SOB story. How many of the terrorist that flew planes into the WTC had over stayed their visas?


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... z1DuKZXmpc

How many American Citizens especially veterans right now, today... have fiancee/spousal visa pending? Americans who are seperated from the one they loved or forced to live overseas if they wish to be with their loved one legally. This is true, and its happening.

However why are these American Citizens in this position? Is it because of to much government beaucracy? Or is it because USCIS is to busy dealing with illegal aliens and their whines, legal immigrants and their mass chain immigration, and the federal governments higher interest in diversity groups as a priority?

Now we're not talking about pre-arranged marriages or mail-order brides of course. But damn Americans are the ones hurt by the abuses of illegal immigration and chain immigration. Because of the governments failure to secure our border and do things the right way in a civilized manner that benefits the US others who are law abiding are punished.

Now maybe report on that issue. Of course we aren't anti immigrant, just common sense should be involved. Of course they won't dare report how chain immigration, diversity visa loterry, and especially illegal immigration keeps potential legal immigrants who have US Citizen loved ones overseas apart.

I personally know a few Veteran friends who've been stationed or deployed overseas who when they got out returned for a love and have had to go through all the hoops.

So somebody meets and falls in love with another who admits there is an open warrant for their arrest. Should LOVE then be a mitigating circumstance when the wanted individual is apprehended by the law?

ONLY ON A TV SHOW! and never in real life!

Silva had told Mazzarelli about overstaying, but since she had gotten a new visa and been careful with it, she was shocked to be detained.

Something is not right with this story. How was she able to get a NEW visa, if there was a "flag" on her overstayed student visa?

She's 30 now, got bust 5 years ago when 25. She had to have been 19, not 17. Article states she was visiting her mom (living in the US)..was her mom here illegally or legally?

Too many holes in this one. Sounds like she got screwed. But then, she didn't have a laraza in her corner.

Many like him end up victims of green card shams. Why don't they do a report or a news story on all the lonely American males and females who have been duped by "love" and then "dumped" once the green card is in hand?
Unless they're so stupid and naive to believe that the number of green card shams is small.