After all. he was a bona fide American citizen. he had served in the United States Army and he had reenlisted. all because of his devotion to his country. He just could not make himself believe that a responsible official of our Government would raise such a technical point against the citizenship of his daughter and against the properness of her remaining in the United States. He thought American Immigration and State Department officials had more important duties and that they would not become overly concerned about his baby daughter. But he did not reckon with the great lengths to which some will go to observe every little technicality. Private Thomas was sent overseas again in September 1952this time to Germany. His wife and baby daughter. Janie. went to New York to live with relatives to await his return from overseas duty. Thirteen months later his wife sent him the frantic word: Janie had been served with a warrant for arrest as an alien and ordered to appear at a deportation hearing on November 5. 1953. at Ellis Island. At the hearing their little twoyearold daughter was charged with illegal entry and was paroled to her mother who became a naturalized citizen soon thereafter. The friendly American Red Cross had assisted Mrs. Thomas by securing the assignment of an attorney to help her in this very trying time.
Keywords matched
Immigration deportation naturalized