"If you tell me that you are here to marry, I have to send you home..." the immigration officer said this the third time, still patient, still smiling... knowingly. Then, joy slowly rose in me when I understood what this man was finally trying to communicate to me!
A week earlier, I had endured the humiliating and terrifying interrogation by his peers at the Minneapolis port of entry. Then, I had naively told the immigration officer I was here to marry my fiance. It never occurred to me that I had done something wrong. My fiance Monica waited and watched me from outside the holding area, concerned and puzzled.
We were returning to the US to be married, thinking that one could spontaneously marry according to the law. However, we did not realize that one had to be within the US already and then consider the idea. But it was too late, and I did not lie well, so I blurted out the truth foolishly.
The prying questions stripped me and I felt vulnerable. By now, Monica could see that something was very wrong. Eventually, after Monica was brought in for questioning, they realized that we were sincere and had mis-interpreted the law. Apparently, we weren't the first, and the officers had grace for us and would have been willing to let us proceed. But since we were travelling on to Texas, they did not have jurisdiction there, and told us that they would have to decide our fate, but they would call ahead and put in a good word for us in our case notes.
With out wedding just days away, and my brief window of opportunity to exonerate decimated by limited days in the week to appeal our case, the fourth of July holiday, we reached out to every avenue of help we could muster, including our pastor who asked our congress woman Kay Bailey Hutchison to intervene.
Weary, we made our way to San Antonio with Monica's mom who was here for the wedding. She stayed in the hotel room to pray while we attended our appointment. When it came time to hear our case, the immigration officer was particularly stern, and there was a bold notice tacked on his notice board stating there was to be no more leniency and grace in 'spontaneous marriages'. The law had been changed! Now ALL marriages had to be initiated with a fiance or marriage visa. Now I was really panicked and reluctantly told Monica about the news.
I was so distressed that I was a bit shell shocked as I related our story to the immigration officer, still stern. Suddenly, he stepped out of his seat, went behind for a few minutes and returned with a statement: "If you tell me that you are here to marry, I have to send you home..."
I could not believe it. I only saw myself having to fly home--they had already confiscated my passport and return ticket. But after the third time he repeated himself, I found the courage to look into his kind eyes, and my heart skipped a beat... "You mean..." he continued smiling "...if I don't get married, I can stay in country?!! No legal papers but I can have a party with my relatives, right!" Now he was ecstatic and I was incredulous! Monica, who is normally quicker than I am with such matters, was so stunned by the sudden turn in events that she too did not understand when I called her over to confirm the news with the officer!
Floored by God's Grace on us, we called Monica's mom at the hotel on the ride home, I could here her laughing and shouting for joy through the phone as Monica told her the news, tearing up in gratefulness.
That was Thursday. Couple of days later, we had our grand party on Saturday Afternoon, and celebrated God's goodness. We were not legally married until we had our fabulous honeymoon in Alaska and returned a couple of months later. There is grace in the United States Federal Government because gracious people also work there.
~ Shien, Yahweh Shalom "The Lord our Peace"
