From a Far Land

We are an immigrant family. My grandparents came a hundred years ago from an orphanage in Germany sponsored by a plumber in Saint Paul. They traveled in the bilges of a freighter and cleared customs in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. My sons were born in the Philippines and granted U.S. citizenship prior to immigrating to Santa Barbara. My wife is here in a spouse visa. It took four years to get her visa and required many medical exams, immunizations, and certifications from the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation that she had never committed any crimes or misdemeanors.

For four months after she and the boys arrived, they stayed at the Transition House awaiting permanent housing. During that four months she was exposed to illegal immigrants who had not been screened as she had. We now have a home and are united as family.

We support immigrants and immigration but oppose illegal immigration as it does not make sense to allow people who may be criminals or diseased to join our community. The current legal immigration system makes sense.