Ewelina Bledniak’s parents immigrated to the United States, from Poland, when she was only two. Her father is now an American citizen, and her mother is a permanent resident applying for citizenship. Unfortunately, their lawyer did not file the child’s paperwork correctly. She is now 11, and the US Government is demanding that she return home to Poland, or be deported to that country–whose language and culture is completely alien to her.

The girl was told she can only restart the application process to become a permanent resident and then an American citizen after leaving for a year. For that time, Ewelina will live with her maternal grandparents in a two-bedroom apartment in Warsaw, a home life very different from the one she has here..

The Bledniaks have tickets to fly out of Atlanta to Warsaw, with Ewelina, on July 20 unless the family can rectify the problem.

But both parents say that is unlikely because the green card application process to become a permanent resident takes years. Agnes Bledniak said it took six years to get approval for her green card, and her application for citizenship is pending.

The problem was discovered in 2000 when mother and daughter went for an interview under the assumption both of their applications had been properly submitted. While the mother’s paperwork was proper, their daughter’s had not arrived and she was by then ineligible for a green card. The deadline had passed. Ewelina would have to start the process over, which they did.

This is just another side-effect of the draconian immigration laws we have, that treat human beings as cattle. Don’t deport the child, deport the lawyer!