The End of a Nightmare
Our client Ismael Ramirez asked us to post this story about his long road to permanent residency:
THE END OF A NIGHTMARE
The beginning of a dream come true. That was what happened on October 8, 2008 in the Immigration Court building in downtown Miami. My name is ISMAEL RAMIREZ and I was placed in removal proceedings in 2007 at the age of 60 years old. My case was one of those which many attorneys refuse to take, due to the small likelihood of success.
Several years ago in 2003, I married a Cuban woman who filed an application under the Cuban Adjustment Act. By the time we attended the marriage interview with immigration, a year after filing the application, my marriage had broken apart and the petition was denied. The immigration official claimed that “the marriage was entered into solely for the purpose of evading the Immigration Laws.” This, of course, was not true but my application was still denied.
At that time, my work permit was revoked, my driver license expired and could never be renewed, and I felt like all doors were closed to me. No jobs, no income, no possibilities of surviving.
My mother had previously filed a relative petition for me in 2000 when she was a legal permanent resident but there was a long wait for the priority date to become current. My only way out was that of going back to Colombia, my country of origin, defeated, penniless, and hopeless. I would be forced to leave behind my two children, my ailing mom and other loved ones here in the United States. Due to my age, I would have been a target of discrimination in my home country and it would be very difficult for me to get a job.
At that point my sister suggested to me that I get in contact with an immigration attorney, to find out the possibilities to get my green card. I paid a visit to some attorneys and most of them were moved to one extreme to other: Either a total refusal to take such a difficult case like mine or the others who stated that my case was easy cake but not so easy regarding the high fees they wanted to charge me.
In the middle of such a desperate situation, the name of Doctor JULIE FERGUSON was mentioned to me. She handled the cases of two relatives of mine, whose condition were adverse and only one step from the deportation gate. Dr. Ferguson handled the cases successfully and that fact encouraged me to contact her. Since the first moment I arrived at her office, I felt confident that I was placing myself in good hands. That confidence was reinforced when she said to me that only after a previous review of my case to look for any possible relief, could she accept or refuse my case. It was reasonable for me and especially it seemed honest. So I agreed and after two days I received her positive response to go ahead with my case. She advised me that we would have to face immigration court and that a case like mine would be difficult to win.
She started pursuing the petition my mother had filed for me who in the meantime had became a U.S. citizen. Dr. Ferguson filed the adjustment and obtained the issue of work permit. But the petition was denied because the antecedent of my marriage. She appealed but the appealed was denied as well. Once again my work permit was revoked and I had no means to renew my driver license.
The next step was to wait for Notice to Appear and begin my removal proceedings. We applied for Cancellation of Removal for Non-Permanent Resident, which meant we would need to show extreme and unusual hardship to one of my U.S. citizen relatives. Dr. Ferguson conducted the trial not only in a professional manner, but also employing her skills and features to turn a practically lost case into a victorious one. Centering on my elderly mother who suffers from various medical problems as the cornerstone of the whole process, she successfully convinced the Judge of the extreme hardship that separation would cause her if I were deported to Colombia. She changed the lean of balance. Dr. Ferguson was able to weaken the strong arguments of the trial attorney regarding my presumed fraudulent marriage and the presence of my brothers and sisters in this country who could possibly take care of my ailing mother and demonstrate that I was a person of good character and the only one who could properly take care of my sick mother.
The Judge declared his final verdict and granted me the application for cancellation of removal, and hence the status of a legal alien in the USA. At that moment there was plenty of commotion. I saw tears in my children’s and my mother’s eyes and everybody was speechless. Dr. Ferguson and her assistant Sasha were absorbed in delirium as well. The government attorney addressed me in Spanish saying “todo terminó. Puede quedarse en este pais con su mama.” [Everything is over. You can stay in this country with your mother.]
Only at that moment did I understand what was happening and still I could not believe it! I thanked everybody and I hugged my kids and my mom as I began to cry.
Definitely the nightmare was put to an end. This could not be possible without the masterful work performed by Dr. Ferguson and her professional staff. They reviewed all the aspects to configure a strong case, emphasizing the key points and details. I am in big debt with Dr. Ferguson not just because of the fees I could not pay her yet, but morally and physically she changed my life. She returned me to the path of dreams and hopes.
She reinforced my conviction that life is beautiful despite the temporary hard circumstances that sometimes we have to face on the road.
Thank you Dr. Ferguson, thank you Sasha, and Valerie and all other members of the staff who collaborated to lead me in the road of victory. You are all soldiers of Justice.
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