My wife, Hoa Nguyen, came to the U.S. on a student visa to study ten years ago. She attended Luther College where we met. We graduated in 2003 and moved to the Twin Cities to begin the next stage of our lives. A Hennepin County judge married us on November 8, 2008. A ceremony and reception were then held in Hoa’s native country, Vietnam, two months later. I recently began my own construction business and Hoa has finished her Master’s degree in French Literature from the University of Minnesota where she also taught undergraduate classes. We planned to build a life together; one of community, compassion, and contribution.
We hoped that our marriage would only simplify our future plans. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Hoa is now in Sherburne County Jail, scheduled for involuntary deportation. Her visa status first became unclear to us in the midst of their trip to Vietnam to celebrate their wedding. Upon returning, Hoa talked to immigration officials, who set a one-month time limit in which to resolve her status. She requested more time to sort through the situation, and her case was then transferred to a different office. After that, she received a letter to appear in court on August 13, 2009 regarding her status in the U.S. After confusing, and missing, the court date, she was taken into custody and has been in jail since August 14, 2009. As she worked to try and comply with immigration law, Hoa was unaware of the excessive consequences and felt assured by our marriage.
Hoa has a wonderful disposition and shares her laughter, smile and wit with all that are around her. She is infectious, kind, an amazing cook and can connect with kids in an instant. A family as well as a restaurant, a day care, or teaching are her ambitions. She deserves to be in the U.S. on her own merits. She is however, my wife and as I am a U.S. citizen, we have the right to be together. I am disappointed that we have experienced this part of our system and regret that we did not seek professional help earlier. Be that as it may, we are in this position and have every intention of making it through this with our heads held high and our relationship stronger.
We appreciate your concern, time and support during this difficult time.
-Dan Hanson