Elmore County couple's ordeal highlights immigration dilemma
6/30/2007, 6:49 p.m. ET
By KENNETH MULLINAX
The Associated Press


MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Jeff Coppa and Gobin Singh bristle at the very thought of the government giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. To them, it would be just so unfair to those who follow the law — no matter how much time or money it costs them.

The Elmore County couple spent 10 months and $4,140 — $840 in application fees and $3,300 for a lawyer — to get permanent residence status for Singh, a Jamaican of Indian descent. Now, she has all the privileges of citizenship except the right to vote. She even knows the joy of paying taxes.

Their emotional investment, though, was so much more — frustration, anxiety, humiliation. And they have no doubt that every immigrant going through the process suffers somehow.

It's a system in need of fixing, Coppa and Singh agree, but the immigration reform bill that failed to win approval in the Senate this week wasn't the way to do it. The answer, they think, is doing away with the bureaucratic red tape — not granting amnesty for the 12 million immigrants here illegally.

Their position on the bill, which also includes provisions for greater border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal immigrants, is the same as a growing number of senators such as Jeff Sessions. The Republican from Mobile opposes amnesty but wants to see the process streamlined.

"The system's too burdensome," Sessions said in a telephone interview from Washington. "Our system of legal immigration is too complex... I'm not against comprehensive reform because our system of immigration — both legal and illegal — is broken."

Singh and Coppa had to deal with six agencies: Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS), Applicant Support Center, U.S. Bureau of Citizenship (USBC), Social Security and the FBI.

A month into the process, they realized they needed professional help.

"Once we looked at all the paperwork, the miles of duplicate forms, all written in a horrible and unknown language, we decided we needed a lawyer," Singh said.

The couple hired Boyd Campbell, a national expert on immigration law who practices in Montgomery. He describes the process as "complicated and obtuse" and understands perfectly why the 6.5 million immigrants trying to obtain legal status feel overwhelmed.

"They are all going through what anyone will tell you is one of the most complicated and confusing bureaucratic mazes ever conceived to boggle the brain of humankind — an arduous test of endurance that would even stretch the limits of the most seasoned airborne ranger," Campbell said.

Singh's case moved quickly, comparatively speaking. Campbell has had clients who have had to wait two years or more to get a green card.

"I have seen cases with identical facts move differently — some fast and others as slow as snails," he said.

Campbell thinks the time it takes to conduct a background check delays the legalization process for thousands, if not millions of immigrants.

"The backlog of security checks alone is causing massive delays, with children losing benefits and people being almost destitute because they can't obtain legal status to obtain a job," he said.

Singh and Coppa started the paperwork to get her green card late last June, about a week after they moved from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Both had worked at the naval station there.

Now, Singh manages a doctor's office in Millbrook and Coppa is a network engineer with Science Applications International Corp. at Maxwell Air Force Base.

The couple met in late 2001 and married three years later in Georgia, where Coppa's brother lives. Contrary to popular belief, Singh's immigration status didn't change when she said "I do." Marriage to a U.S. citizen is not a guarantee of citizenship or even permanent residence.

When an immigrant and an American citizen marry in the United States, the government requires the citizen to submit a packet of 10 documents known as a visa application to prove that the marriage was for love and not for the spouse to gain legal status.

The names of the documents alone are daunting: I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, G-325 Biographic Data Form for both individuals, I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence, I-765 Application for Employment Authorization, I-864 Affidavit of Support, I-131 Travel Document, I-693 Medical Examination of Alien Form and supporting documents, which include the marriage license and personal photos.

Campbell handled all of the paperwork. Instead of filling out form after form, Singh and Coppa put down their information — once.

"He filled out all the forms, represented us before all government agencies and even reminded us about all our appointments, complete with a map and the name of the receptionist," Singh said.

Campbell, though, couldn't eliminate all the duplication. Singh and Coppa still had to drive to Birmingham three times because federal agencies don't share information.

"Fast and efficient is not a word I use at all for the federal immigration process," Campbell said.

Trip No. 1 to Birmingham was to the Homeland Security office. There, Singh submitted to a biometrics exam that included a digital photograph, fingerprints and a retinal eye scan. When the couple returned home that afternoon, there was a letter from the FBI in their mailbox.

The request was for another biometrics test. A few days later, the State Department sent a letter telling Singh that she needed to take yet another biometrics test.

The triple test underscores what Rep. Artur Davis, a Democrat from Birmingham, wants from any immigration reform bill: a system free of burdensome rules. The House still is waiting to act on its version of the bill, though the measure could come to the floor as early as next month.

"We must legislate fairness and common sense so more people will follow the legal path and not get mired in the bureaucracy of our government's arcane rules," Davis said.

Time and again, the word "fairness" comes up in the debate over immigration. Singh talks about it. Other immigrants seeking legal status talk about it. So do radio talk show hosts and lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans alike.

"Immigration amnesty violates the important American principle of fair play," Sessions said in a telephone interview from Washington. "There is no free lunch in America."

For Sessions, enforcement and border security are the keys to stopping the flow of illegal immigrants.

"You can't have an immigration law and not enforce it, then grant amnesty to millions of people and then expect others to follow the new law," he said.

How or if Congress changes the immigration process obviously won't change anything for Singh and Coppa, but they don't care. They'd still do it all again.

Singh wants to become a U.S. citizen.

"America offers a person more chances than any other nation in the world," she said. "I love America and hope one day to pay it back for all the joy it has given me by allowing me the privilege to live here legally."

Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/ ... labamanews