onetimeonly

I hope this is the right spot for this... if not, sorry.

Has anyone been following the story on he Michigan doctor Lukasz Niec, the Polish born US resident of 40 years facing deportation? Seems he committed "crimes involving moral turpitude" when he was 17 and has recently been bought to ICE attention over recent false allegations. As much as I would love for him to stay, if the rules are not bent then he'll surely be deported, right? Yet he's talking about applying for citizenship while on bail and thinks he'll be able to stay.

I wish him the best, but after watching the video in the link I feel as a permanent resident he really should have done his homework on what that means... but I guess if you're a resident since you're 5 years old you won't have the same perspective as adults who go through the immigration process later in life.

Anyway, my fingers are crossed for him, it would be heartless to destroy his, and his families life over this.

Noorah101

What link?

Rene

Pulaski

Probably withheld or excised as he has only posted 5 times.

Former Lancastrian

Try these
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lukasz-...eanor-charges/
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/31/u...ing/index.html
Michigan doctor's arrest by ICE linked to child abuse allegations | MLive.com

onetimeonly

awesome no link cus of 5 posts criteria... this was it. sorry guys

http://wwmt.com/news/local/lukasz-niec-speaks-out-after-release-on-bond

BritInParis

A textbook case of why you should become a citizen of your country of permanent residence as soon as it becomes available to you.

Rete

I've only read the original article when it first appear early last week. In that article it doesn't state if his parents had naturalized while he was under the age of 18. If they did, then he is an automatic US Citizen and I wouldn't put it pass ICE not to have picked up on it.

If not, when he would have gone on to naturalize independent of his parents, I'm not sure if his juvenile history would have prevented him from naturalizing.

Also my original read stated that his misdemeanor occurred at age 17 and he was treated as an juvenile.

petitefrancaise

On a more general note and as an LPR, I find the current news items and ICE behaviour very unsettling indeed.

When I first moved to France with my very young family, I had recurring nightmares about war breaking out and having to get everyone back to the UK in one piece. Ever since, I have made sure passports don't run out... Now, I have had nightmares about a knock on the door and we have to leave immediately.
Reading about parents having to organise guardians and finances for their kids in case they are rounded up and taken away, kids having to make sure that they have documentation on them at all times. Well, I question whether this is a place I want to live. The problem though, is that the UK is doing it too.

jjmb

I suspect it was the child abuse allegations that led to the deportation order, not the juvenile convictions as they were deemed as misdemeanors. My son had a similar juvenile record on a green card and although he had to wait 6 months longer than the rest of the family, it did not prevent him attaining his citizenship.

Rete

And that is just that ... the child abuse issues are allegations. They are not convictions. They are not even criminal charges at this point. They are nothing more than allegations that are being investigated.

Forty two years ago, I brought my daughter to the hospital because she fell over the handle bars of her trike and hit her forehead. The accident was investigated and I was questioned by the authorities as to possible child abuse. Thankfully, she was 2-1/2 years old and could tell them what happened and they checked over her entire body for other marks and found none.

So until he is charged, been to trial and found guilty, ICE has no cause to arrest him and deport him, IMHO.

scrubbedexpat091

I'd have Canadian Citizenship if the Canadian gov't didn't place such a large financial cost to it, it's a financial burden to some, and frankly the fee is absurdly high in my view.

BritInParis

CA$630 is cheaper than the US (US$725) and it's is a bargain compared to the UK (£1282).

Former Lancastrian

Another way to look at it is hypothetically you are convicted of an offence which leads to a deportation order. What would be the long term cost of you having to go back to the US and start all over again as opposed to the Citizenship application. At the moment its $630 which I know to some sounds expensive

The US its $725
UK its 1,282 pounds
Other EU countries are cheaper.

Oh and BTW I just dealt with a UK citizen who has been issued a deportation order and his offence was being involved in a fatal traffic accident and although at fault its not like he set out to commit a crime so yes it can happen to anybody.

I know some choose not to take it out as they may have to renounce their citizenship and they don't want to do that as they may wish to retire and go back home. Those coming from countries that allow dual citizenship then IMHO its a no brainer.

Former Lancastrian

Im slower at typing than you.

scrubbedexpat099

Always annoys me when you get half the story, seems he did not seek naturalisation because of his criminal history and has Domestic Violence issues in his more recent past and trained to be a Doctor in DR.

The parents naturalising whilst he was a child does not seem to have happened.