Posted on 11/08/2006 6:44:34 AM PST by ruination
A Horn Lake man and his family face deportation after immigration officials determined his business was not substantial enough to qualify him for permanent residency.
"We're faced with having to sell our home and our business," said Martin Enderli, a Swiss national who moved to Horn Lake after visiting in April 2005.
"Maybe we would have been better off if we had come in across the Mexican border, without asking for visas and trying to do everything according to the law," he said.
Enderli has been told he has from three to six months to sell his business and his home before being deported.
He owns Crossroads Records on Goodman Road. Crossroads specializes in old records, tapes and CDs, and has developed a loyal following among collectors.
Enderli said the shop has been growing in spite of the government ruling that the business was not substantial.
Immigration officials said earlier that Enderli's business plan didn't meet minimum requirements that would allow him to stay in the country.
After the April 2005 visit here, Enderli and his family returned on six-month visas in August 2005 and applied for permanent residency. That request was denied, and his temporary visas expired in February.
Enderli had joined the Horn Lake area Chamber of Commerce and drew support from Horn Lake Mayor Nat Baker and from state Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, in his bid for permanent residency.
"Everybody who worked on this is just crushed," Larry Witherspoon, executive director of the Horn Lake chamber, said of Enderli losing his bid to stay.
Enderli said the notification that his applications to extend visas had been denied came from his attorneys.
"We're still hoping that maybe we could get some favorable ruling from the U.S. Embassy in Switzerland, but we really don't see a silver lining," Enderli said. "We're hoping for help, but this has brought a lot of tension."
Attorneys advised him to return to Switzerland and apply for re-entry with a new visa, but Enderli said that would place him at considerable risk.
"Since I overstayed my 6-month visa, they (immigration officers) would flag my passport immediately if I tried to re-enter the country. Then I would be barred from seeking another visa for an additional three years.
"It's obvious we don't have another chance (unless immigration officials change their stance)," he said.
Meanwhile, he said the snarl of red tape has brought hardship to his family.
"We Swiss are cautious people," he said. "If we had had any idea that our applications would have been denied, we never would have come to this country. We're not the type of people to take risks.
"But as it is, we have invested all our money in a home and business, and now we could lose everything."
""Maybe we would have been better off if we had come in across the Mexican border, without asking for visas and trying to do everything according to the law," he said."
He's 100% right.
Un-Freekin-Believable!
Isn't that amazing. Hello out there all you folks who say we can't round up illegals. It's pretty darned clear we can round up who we want to isn't it.
Legal vs illegal, hmmmmm... who should go? Now let me see...
Now that's a tough one. LOL
Well, maybe he should learn to pick grapes or hang drywall!
It sounds like this Swiss family did not hire a competent attorney to advise them on their business plan. To be eligible for a green card via owning a business, this guy needed to invest a minimum of $1 million AND have at least 10 full time employees. I can't see a small rare-record store meeting these minimum requirements, even if it is successful.
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=4ff96138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=4f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
A RECORD STORE OWNER ?
WHY THE HELL DID THIS GUY JUST GO INTO THE BUGGY WHIP BUSINESS INSTEAD.
I ALSO HEAR THERE IS STILL A GREAT MARKET FOR PINK FLAMINGOS AND 8 TRACK TAPES TOO.
HE COULD ALSO SELL 5 1/4 INCH FLOPPY DRIVES.
Ever been involved with government bureaucracy? Due to a death of a relative with minor children involved I was forced to try to acquire benefits for said minors. In all but one instance where I had to deal with the bureaucracy the person was a "minority". The helpful public servants were anything but helpful. Seven visits to the office, seven "sorry but they do not qualify for benefits" or not enough information come back with more, from "minority" helpful public servants. Eighth visit I was helped by a non-"minority" worker. Forty-five minutes and all forms filled out by the person and benefits were secured.
There is not a doubt in my mind that those helpful public servants were deliberately being obstinate and purposely non-helpful. The end result of affirmative action and quotas filling bureaucratic positions and the way it will be until we once again truly become a society allowed to base hiring practices on meritorious and creditable criteria.
EXCELLENT QUESTION. PERHAPS HE ACTUALLY WANTED TO BE A BUSBOY OR A CAR WASHER, BUT THOSE POSITIONS WERE ALL TAKEN BY ILLEGALS FROM MEXICO AND HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE A JOB THAT WOULD EARN HIM DEPORTATION.
No worries, the dem 0 rats will save the day, now that they have power.
Yeah; they wouldn't have been allowed to deport him then, that'd be RACIST.
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