YAY!YAY!YAY!
Sondra!
I spoke with Walt today, and the citizenship matter is under control. I will speak with him tomorrow and ask him about his camera. I can tell you now that he will be very heartened to hear that so many people actually care so much. Walt is a really great guy, and I am very happy to be a part of helping.
I will talk with him tommorow and get back to you.
Thank you for watching out for him.
Michael
[---YON]
***THIS POST WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS EACH DAY UNTIL WE GET THE JOB DONE.
NEWER POSTS WILL OF COURSE FOLLOW BELOW.
The attack had also upturned other parts of his life. The Argentina-born immigrant, who moved to the United States as a child, was injured just eight days before he was to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen in a ceremony in Iraq.
Now, he’s in a bureaucratic black hole: Federal immigration officials wouldn’t renew his permanent resident card or tell him when he could reschedule the swearing-in ceremony. No one at the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office could tell him what to do next to get his citizenship papers, or even how to renew his immigration documents.
Gaya says he won’t let his injury define his life. On his lunch breaks at Fort Lewis, he uses a camera he bought from a pawn shop, venturing into the morning mist to snap shots of soldiers training.
Look, the least WE can do is gift him a decent camera. That’s simple.
Now let’s get our asses in gear and get this guys citizenship issue taken care of.
I’ll be writing Congressman Adam Smith (he’s a member of
the House Armed Services Committee AND mine and Walt’s Congressman) and ask that you all do too.
***UPDATE: Apparently Adam Smith’s e-mail is only intended for WA State residents (the fact that he’s on the Armed Services Committee applies only to his constituents *GAH*) therefor it was suggested by a Cotillion member to include ALL of our elected officials (thank you Debra) who you can contact here.
I’ll keep you posted as I gather more information. I think while we get some letters going I’ll work on setting up a fund for Sgt. Gaya....it won’t take much and I think it would be a fine gesture. It’s the least WE can do.
Now go read the whole story....
And PLEASE help me spread this story around. This is just so wrong.
***UPDATE: Janette (Common Sense Runs Wild) reminds us that Walt should already be familiar to us thanks to Michael Yon. Thank Janette!!
***UPDATE: My darling Stoo’s on the ball!:
Mr. Tancredo,
I believe you to be the most sensible member of our government with regards to immigration, and wanting to appear sensible myself, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I hope you share my outrage over the immigration aspect of this story:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1262240&page=1
Part of this story tells how this Army sergeant—a legal immigrant since childhood—missed his citizenship swearing in ceremony ecause he was recovering from injuries recieved in Iraq. Immigration officials, according to the story WON’T tell him how to get his citizenship back on track, nor will they extend his legal status!
Can you help get the word out about his plight? Can you intervene on his behalf?
Regards,
XXXXXXXX
***UPDATE: Janette ROCKS! She’s been in touch with Michael Yon who’s gonna contact Sgt Gaya and see exactly what needs to be done.
Cousin Joe’s also put me in contact with one of his connects at FT. Lewis. I’ll keep you posted.
Thank you everyone!
