We Got Screwed By the U.S. Immigration Service and Will Never Forgive Them.
Have you ever been in a situation that infuriated you so much that, although you would never actually do it, steered your mind towards thoughts of pure evil to translate your rage into concrete action? Towards doing something stupid, something you know would get you in trouble, but would at least release that fury and anxiety within, you so you could feel a little better?
Such as spray-painting “Fuck the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services!” all over the walls of their Oakland Park, Florida facility?
Let me explain, and but first let me apologize. You’re going to hear a lot of “Boo hoo! Woe is me!”in the following paragraphs. I beg you to indulge me, put yourself in my shoes, and see if you would feel any different.
My wife recently took her oath of citizenship, but there wasn’t enough “room” in the auditorium for my sons and me to witness it. She cried during the entire ceremony because of this, we watched it outside on a crappy TV with totally inaudible audio, and she even stood up in protest at one point to voice her disgust at the whole situation. (More on this below, and I was never so proud of her in my life.)
Several weeks earlier, she had passed her citizenship test. This involved studying 100 questions with the requirement to verbally answer 6 out of 10 random questions correctly. Get five wrong, and you start the whole naturalization procedure all over again! She nailed the first six in a row, so there was no reason to be asked the following four questions. Welcome to America, baby! You’re a citizen now!
Almost.
We received a letter not long after telling us to return for her oath of citizenship on April 19th at 10:30am. She, my sons and I arrived at 9:30am. (Who wants to be late for this!?) I’m all decked out in my American Flag attire and all excited about what should be a very emotional day in our lives. We’re the first ones there in the main waiting room (the first)…she’s separated from us an oathtaker (us guests go to the other side of the room)…and all new citizens are then ushered into the auditorium, with us guests waiting to be allowed entry later.
Except there’s no system as to how guests are allowed entry. No restrictions on how many guests each new citizen can bring. No first come first served to get in. No control at all.
So, one person can have 20 guests (family members, the family grocer, the family babysitter, the family drug dealer), and with another oathtaker, no guests get in at all (like us), because the room is full. It was just a matter of pushing yourself to the front of the crowd, or being seated at the right place at the right time when they finally called guests to line up, so it would be easier for you to push yourself to the front of the crowd and get in.
What the hell is going on here? It looked exactly like a Central American caravan storming the Mexico-U.S. Border!
One would think that this Federal office would know what they’re doing when it comes to controlling who gets in and who doesn’t (Hey, the USCIS is even run under the auspices of Homeland Security!), but they obviously don’t. So my sons and I weren’t in the auditorium to witness it.
I later learned that while the Master of Ceremonies was telling new citizens what a special day this was for them, a day to cherish and share and always remember with your loved ones, my wife stood up and yelled at this shmuck, tears streaming down her face:
“Really!? My family can’t even get in! And I’ve been waiting for this day for years!”
She claimed that as a new citizen, she was just exercising her right to protest. (I still tear up when I think about her doing this. Now that’s America!)
While still in the waiting room, I stormed out to the car in disgust, and punched the wall a few times on my way out right in front of the security officers there. What were they going to do, deport me? The worst they could do is deport me from Florida to Brooklyn, where I was born.
However, even they understood the situation and didn’t do a thing in reaction to my outburst. They allowed me to vent. They had obviously seen this before, many times, seen many disgusted and disappointed people unable to witness these special moments because this office was so screwed up as to have no system and control over their naturalization ceremonies whatsoever.
The invitation letter could have indicated a maximum number of allowable guests. Guests could have been allowed in on a first come, first in basis. (Maybe they should take some lessons from any supermarket’s deli counter. Take a number!) Or perhaps they could schedule these events more frequently, with less new immigrants each, to fit all the people who come eager to witness this damn ceremony in the first place!
So to the Oakland Park, Florida office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, specifically, the Director of this office:
I’m not done with this yet. You robbed our family of the most cherished American moment imaginable. This will never be forgotten. Writing this is my first step at expressing my disdain, disappointment and disgust with you.
The next step is hitting Walmart’s spray paint aisle, but it’s certainly not the last step.
Juvenile!
THAT IS DUE TO THE DEMOCRAT PROGRAM OF CREATING JOBS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR ANY JOB AND BUILDING HUMONGOUS BUILDINGS TO HOUSE THEM WHRE THEY CAN ABUSE THE REST OF US, RIGHT???
OMG really!!!!! At least she got her citizenship that could have went wrong!!!!! Now you want to cry and go to Walmart and get spray paint and graffiti something right? If you do I hope you get caught and they send her back…..
You’ve obviously never been cheated out of an extra-special life moment. You don’t understand the rage at missing a once-in-a-lifetime event, missed it because of other people’s disregard and inattention. For those who conduct these ceremonies, their sensitivities are obviously calloused to what goes on. They have lost human feelings to what citizenship means to many of us. You don’t understand MAGA!
He has every right to be angry.
I empathize with you completely. In 1980 first wife came from England and got her alien resident card in New Orleans. The officer had merely a perfunctory attitude and in a last minute gesture of obligationhabded her a beat up pamphlet about her new status.
For a young bride and proud husband (second generation immigrant), this was all less than acceptable.
All very strange that legal residents are dissed yet illegal aliens are lauded.
Your last sentence says it all. It’s all in the leftist deep state efforts to destroy America.
Must be kidding, if that’s all you have to whine about in your life! You should be thankful that your girlfriend even got the priviledge of becoming a legal American citizen! Your sound like the three new women of color that constantly bitch about America after this country gave them a chance for a chance at a good life! ungrateful! If your new wife is nice, please don’t influence her with your negativity! Re: they have to answer 6 questions right out of 10. Wow! That’s so cruel, 60 percent , that’s a D – in public schools.
If it was so crowded at the events, perhaps the govt is bringing in too many immigrants and they should cut back by 50 percent so people like you won’t get offended, the nice thing is that you can write several paragraphs so your not undereducated. Hopefully then your employed and can support your new wife and the tax payers won’t be supporting another immigrant. You brought her, you pay her way!
When did he say that’s all he has to complain about? Seriously, pay attention.
More importantly, certain creatures like you might not think this is a big deal, but to him and many of us other patriotic Americans, it sure the hell is.
INS has been a a classic example of a Federal program that houses losers for at least 57-years.
My first encounter was around 1962 when I was police chief of a small town in mid Missouri. I would pickup illegal immigrants turn them over to INS and INS would turn them lose.
Your encounter doesn’t surprise me.
Seriously, my heart goes out to you. I stood in a long governmental line just two weeks ago with similar results, but my family was not involved – just the mismanagement of local government. Actually, the long line I waited in was there to correct a similarly substantial mistake and maybe a year from now (or 10) other people will benefit from what was happening in that room; and that, my good sir, is America. Welcome!
The good news is that you can take this with your clout, strength and knowledge of the system to help somebody in the future. Hopefully without setting in place some line of ink that robs them of some seemingly small liberty as has happened to you. In earnest see that you can effect change here without a gun, without a revolution, without breaking any laws or damaging anyone’s property. I love that your wife has decided to embrace the American traditions – I hope you both become a force for change.
I TOOK A FRIEND TO THE IMITATION. OFFICE. SHE PAID THEM $2000 DOLLERS TO GET HER DAUGHTER TO VISIT HER FROM THE PHILIPPINES. IMITATION SAID NO AND THEY KEPT THE MONEY.
Our country (and the world) is afflicted with Don’t-Give-A-Shit-itis ! There is something in the air and you know where that spirit comes from.
Wake up America! Just think what is happening now from the left as the candidates are politicking and promising social medicine. Think about how it will be to need surgery or meds to help you. Will you be like our vets who die waiting on care. Socialism is not the answer to these problems. They get to decide who lives or dies. Look at Venezuela’s situation!!