Jun 20, 2007 11:22 pm US/Eastern
Senators Come To Aid Of Missing Soldier's Wife
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Alex Jimenez and his wife, Yaderlin.
WBZ
Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have asked federal immigration officials not to deport the wife of a Lawrence soldier missing in Iraq. As WBZ-TV first reported, the wife of Alex Jimenez is at risk of being forced from the county.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Wednesday, Kerry said the grief and stress being felt by Yaderlin Hiraldo should not be compounded by worries about her immigration status.
"Under no condition should our country ever deport the spouse of a soldier who is currently serving in uniform abroad," Kerry said. "I feel even more strongly in this case, given the terrible uncertainty surrounding Army Specialist Alex Jimenez."
A D-H-S spokeswoman says the deportation case was closed in May 2006 and there are no plans to deport her.
Jimenez disappeared along with two other members of his unit after they were attacked by Iraqi insurgents on May 12.
The body of one soldier was later found, but Jimenez and the other soldier are still missing.
According to their immigration lawyer Matthew Kolken, 23-year-old Hiraldo illegally entered the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 2001. She married Jimenez in 2004.
While stationed in Iraq, Jimenez petitioned for his wife's green card. But that sent up a red flag about her status.
Kolken says Hiraldo cannot obtain one because she came here illegally. If she were to leave the U.S., she would have to wait ten years before applying again for a green card.
In his letter, Kerry urged that no action be taken against Hiraldo while her husband remains missing.
"I believe this is a very real test of our government's compassion for a military family which has already made enormous sacrifices for the United States," he wrote.
Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy also contacted Homeland Security about Hiraldo. "I've been in touch with the Department of Homeland Security on her behalf," he said in a written statement, "and my office remains in touch with those assisting Ms. Jimenez and her family. I'm happy to assist her and Spc. Jimenez's family during this difficult time."
Yaderlin Hiraldo is currently living with relatives in Pennsylvania.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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