Imagine being forced to leave your home, your friends, your career, and even your spouse. Imagine the life you built would instantly change as you were thrust into a place that felt foreign, a place that was anything but home.
Yetunde Orungbemi is of Nigerian origin, she is also at risk of being deported to a country that “she barely knows.” She and husband, who is African-American, are now dealing with the stresses of a Court case that may result in her being deported. The 29 year old woman has lived in the United Sates since 1998 and got married to her husband Nelson Barnes in 2011.
Tuesday’s court case will decide whether Orungbemi and Barnes have an authentic marriage. “The judge has to determine whether the marriage is bona fide,” says Dale M. Schwartz, an immigration and naturalization lawyer based in Atlanta.
If the judge decides they did not marry in good faith Orungbemi says she faces the prospect of deportation. If the marriage is seen to be genuine her husband still needs to meet certain income requirements or alternatively find a co-sponsor, says Schwartz.
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BMWK — What do you think of the dilemma this couple is facing? What would you do if you were faced with the possibility that your spouse would be deported?
A terrible situation to be in since she’s been here so long & has established her life here in the states. But, I wonder if the marriage is based on true love or was it done for money to keep her here. I hope everything works out for her.