KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffLocal couple forced to separate due to immigration issues

Local couple forced to separate due to immigration issues

by Zakk Gammon - email | Twitter

DEXTER, MO (KFVS) - A local couple finds themselves in a predicament with the U.S. government.

Cherry Brown is from the Philippines. She got married and applied for U.S. citizenship and a work Visa. She and her husband thought things were going well, until they got a letter in the mail saying Cherry had to leave.

"He's always ben there beside me, not leaving me and always telling me he loves me. And now I'm just waiting 'til everything becomes normal and (we can) start a family together," Cherry Brown says about her husband, Tom.

"I knew this was the girl that was gonna be there for me and I know I could trust her with everything in my life," said Tom.

Cherry and Tom met online and eventually in person. Tom flew all the way to the Philippines to visit Cherry and her family.

"It was a little strange because neither one of us had ever done anything like this," says Tom. "I don't think either one of us thought this was gonna go anywhere when we first started talking."

Tom brought Cherry to the United States to get married. They thought everything was going fine until they got a letter in the mail Saturday from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.

"A couple weeks ago we were talking and making plans about our first Thanksgiving and Christmas here and then we get this on Saturday," says Tom.

The letter said Cherry's request for citizenship and Visa were denied. It didn't say why and said there was no chance of an appeal. Now, she has 30 days to leave the country.

"We don't really understand why should would be denied," says Tom. "She entered the country legally and everything. Why aren't they letting us have a chance?"

The Browns contacted Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and Sen. Kit Bond for help; they're still waiting on a response. For now, they say all they can do is sit and wait.

"After we did it legally... I am just really disappointed this is happening right now," says Cherry.

KFVS12 tried to contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service but they didn't return our calls. If Cherry doesn't leave in 30 days, she'll be considered an illegal immigrant.

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