Mr. President. I rise today to introduce private relief legislation to prevent the deportation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service of Sister Edita De Leon. a member of the Carmel of Saint Teresa of Jesus monastery in Little Rock. AR. Sister Edita. a Panamanian citizen. came to the United States on August 4. 1985. on a BiBusinessvisa. which she and other members of the Carmelite Order believed to be permanent. she had checked the wrong box on her 1140request for visaform when filing it in Panama. The B1 visa was extended to August 4. 1986. which was further extended to September 16. The INS ordered her voluntary departure by October 22. 1987 by refusing her third extension. She has subsequently applied for a permanent. sixth preference visa. but her priority date for consideration by the INS is September 16. 1987. which means her case will not be considered until sometime in 1989. In the meantime. the voluntary deportation order is in effect and the deportation proceedings will begin. I do not believe that the United States should deport Sister Edita. As Sister Mary Magdalen. the Superior of the Monastery of Saint Teresa of Jesus. has written on Sister Editas application for alien employment certification: Sister [Edita] will be a member of our contemplative religious community whose main purpose in life is prayer to glorify God and to intercede for the country and for all people.
Keywords matched
Naturalization Immigration visa deportation