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Date Posted: 00:22:51 12/07/07 Fri
Author: AyatollahGondola
Subject: Re: Immigrant may lose chance at citizenship
In reply to: JMR 's message, "Immigrant may lose chance at citizenship" on 19:45:39 12/06/07 Thu

>Immigrant may lose chance at citizenship
>Error on paperwork considered serious
>
>
>By Nishi Gupta
>Posted: Thursday, December 06, 2007 at 4:19 p.m.
>
>BLOOMINGTON -- Imagine coming to the US to live the
>American dream, then have the possibilty be taken away
>when you make an unintentional error.
>
>In 2003, Bloomington resident Beth Keathley left her
>native Phillipinnes for love.
>
>"My husband is here...that's why I came," she said.
>
>On a temporary visa, she became a part of the American
>fabric- she got a job in healthcare and started a
>family.
>
>When she went to get her state ID, she says she was
>asked if she wanted to register to vote.
>
>She said yes.
>
>We obtained her application from the Bloomington
>Election Commission. The box that asks if she's a US
>citizen is checked.
>
>"After that they sent me voters application- three
>times since 2004," Keathley said.
>
>Thinking nothing of it, last year, she and her husband
>John went to the ballot box and cast their votes.
>
>"I don't realize I can't vote because I'm not a
>citizen yet," she said.
>
>But once an immigration officer found out, her quest
>to become a citizen came to an abrupt end.
>
>She lost her job, was even threatened to be deported.
>
>She says it's a harsh consequence for something that
>was unintentional.
>
>"I don't know. I just got here and I didn't even know
>how to speak really good English," she said. "They
>just rushed me through."
>
>"We didn't think nothing of it. we just voted on the
>way to work one morning, and went on to work," her
>husband John added.
>
>The state says if a non-citizen votes it can be a
>misdemeanor, or criminal felony and officials don't
>take it lightly.
>
>Keathley's attorney, Richard Hanus, says cases like
>the theirs are common.
>
>He also says the combination of foreign nationals with
>limited English and voter discrimination laws creates
>a problem.
>
>"The Secretary of State's Office officials are
>prohibited from discriminating against individuals
>when signing them up for voter registration. But at
>the same time there doesn't seem to be any screening,
>and in fact it seems to be the opposite of screening.
>There's an enticement almost," Hanus said by phone
>from Chicago.
>
>Now Keathley just waits to learn of her fate. She
>stands to lose the life she's built and her loved
>ones: her husband, her baby Sheina and step-daughter
>Veronica.
>
>Next November, a judge will decided if Beth Keathley
>is still eligible for citizenship.
>
>The decision will also affect how likely she is to be
>deported.

We should highlight cases like these and use them to call for more stringent voter laws. As it is, there is much confusion due to the word "immigrant" being applied to both legal and illegal immigration. The fault lies with those who lobbied for such loose rules and advertisements that enticed her to vote. All vote advertisements should require a clause that states you may not vote unless you are a citizen, and illegal immigrant is not a citizen.

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