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I also have the problem of being here illegally when I too thought I had dual citizenship. I am Canadian. I was adopted by my American Aunt and Uncle in Buffalo at the age of 11. I went to American schools, lived and worked in America and was married to an American. After my American husband and I divorced In 1972 I decided to move back to Canada to reconnect with my Canadian family. I never returned to the U. S. until 2000. At that time I had met and married an American man. I now reside in Florida. I shockingly found out, after tying to re-apply for my Social Security card, that I had to apply for immigration. When I told them that I had dual citizenship, they said there was no such thing and told me to apply for immigration and get a number before they could re-issue me a card. The application was expensive and what a shock to my new husband who thought I would be able to contribute to the family finances.

I did re-apply shortly after we got married. On the application it had asked if I had broken the law in any way. There was one time when I was very young. I was arrested for a marijuana charge. It was so long ago I had all but forgotten about it, but wanted to be truthful, so I answered the question with all honesty. If I had known the trouble that honesty would cause, I probably would have lied about it. To make a long story short, my application was turned down because of this old pot charge.

I was not deported or even threatened to be deported. I was sent some papers simply saying I could not supply them with proof of my charge so my application has been denied. This was about 2 years after I had applied. My husbands mother was very ill at the time and there was no way I was going to drag him off to Canada or leave him here alone with no support. She passed away in 2006. I am still here. At this time we are making plans to move to Canada, but it's not easy. We have a home to sell and a million other things to get ready. In the meantime, I have no country. Every day I wonder if they will catch up with me and send me home. I can't work, I can't get health insurance or even go to a free medical clinic. I am a 50 year old woman with diabetes and Glaucoma, I need health care.

Unlike the many illegal aliens that sneak in to this country, take jobs, commit crimes, never pay taxes, I have never done any of that. I don't do drugs or even smoke cigarettes. I don't understand why a crime I committed 34 years ago in Canada, should make me not eligible to live in this country while in the meantime thousands upon thousands of Mexicans who sneak in here "illegally" can work, get welfare and are even given drivers licenses with no background checks. I'm sure many of them have criminal records that would make mine look like Kindergarten stuff. Gee, if I were only Mexican!

This country needs to work towards reforming their immigration policies. The Immigration Reform Act of 1996 needs to be rewritten. There should be a statue of limitations on old criminal charges, especially if they are pot charges. I am not the only one who has been told to leave because of some very old charge and it is splitting up families and causing all kinds of heartache. Believe me I have looked in to pardons, etc. but was told that the U.S. Immigration does not uphold them. There is nothing I can do to stay here, so I am going to have to take my poor husband away from his family and his dad who will be all alone, or go back by myself and leave him here. Either one would be devastating to us both. It just doesn't seem fair.

Learn more about this author, Catherine Wayburn.
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