Immigration law means a borderline existence for U.S. wife of Mexican

Anna Gorman of the Times reports on Heather Suarez and her family. Heather has to commute from Tijuana, where she lives with her husband and children, to San Diego every day. Her daily journey starts at just after 4 in the morning.

After Heather, a native of Kentucky, fell in love and married Evaristo Suarez, an illegal immigrant, her life changed completely, writes Gorman.

The couple assumed that Evaristo, 30, would be eligible for a green card once they got married and that they would raise their family near her hometown. But because he had crossed into the United States illegally more than once, he was denied a visa and must wait 10 years before reapplying to return legally.

Read the whole story here, and for a photo slideshow with audio on the story, click here.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Photo: Heather Suarez applies makeup while waiting in a line of cars on the Mexico side of the Otay Mesa border crossing during her two-hour morning commute to work in San Diego, which starts each weekday at about 4:15. Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times

Comments

[JB]

It is easy to critizice for those that have the privilege to have been born in this country or come in legally. It is not the same on the other side. I bet you that if you spent one day living the life that many of these immigrants lead in their countries you would make the same decision to come to this country. These people are not thingking about breaking the law, they are thinking about improving their living standards.

[Daphni]

I don't think people dislike Hispanics as much as you would think. People just like to be left alone to do their own thing. Having illegal people get special privileges just makes competition too tough for us that have to live in border towns. We wouldn't think of trying to live on a wage that only supports people who live 15 to an apartment, especially because it's ILLEGAL. Greedy legals are to blame for this fix. We worked hard to develop laws that provide a balance for development, and they should not be ignored. It will be interesting to see what effect the drought has on migration and levels of population in a given area. Will we have to migrate somewhere to get a drink of water in the coming years? Most Hispanics are very likeable. We should work on a guest worker program that tracks people during their stays here, but not ban them or anyone else entirely.

[Adolfo Aguirre]

This is Mexican country always was always will be. There are a few of you that will never come to accept this. Those who claim and rant about "get out go back to Mexico and come back legaly".. these people are suckers. Geographically speaking America needs Mexico as a freind in these times of war. When 90% of the world hates conservitive capitalist America it doesnt need to create a race war with in its borders. There's a sleeping giant in America, it woke up once and struck fear into the whitemans heart.

[laura griggs]

BOO HOO !!!

It was her decision to marry a law breaker,,she should not gripe about living in a hell hole ...enjoy Tijuana!!

[Heather Czerniak]

I'm not surprised. Liberals will do anything to accommodate foreigners, especially at the expense of US citizens. They're so caught up in this diversity craze! They don't even realize that the economy is in really bad shape right now. In a scenario like this, American citizens should come before foreigners who break the law to get here. So much for being a law-abiding citizen!

I propose a ten-year moratorium on immigration altogether. No exceptions. It doesn't matter if you're here legally or not, get out and stay out for ten years. No more green cards, no temporary guest workers, nada! It's time our Mexican neighbors to the south started fixing their own country. It's also time employers in the US got hit big time with fines for hiring them. I live in Wisconsin, a state that is overrun with illegals. With the fines they could impose on employers that hire illegals here, they could balance the state budget and have a surplus! Don't wait until November for some messiah candidate to come along and fix it for us. Do it yourself. Now.

Here's an idea:
If you see illegals working at a business, take their picture, note the name and location of the business, write it on the back of the photo and mail it in to ICE. That way ICE knows where to look for them. Then go to www.WeHireAliens.com and add the employer's name to their growing list of law-breaking luminaries. If enough people do this, employers and illegals will get the message.

[Tony P]

I have about as much sympathy for this woman as I do the for the local drug dealer. You're breaking our laws - period. You have yourself to blame. Americans are tired of supporting Illegals. The men ansd women that died in WWI and WWII didn't give their lives so that people could sneak into this country and live off the backs of the citizens. You made your bed - sleep well.

[Jim Maires]

Incredible how all you brave anti-immigrant horn blowers are afraid to use your "real names" to speak out against the evil, low-life’s trying to get their free ticket into the great United States.

If you had the brass to publish your true legal names, then we the readers would most likely be able to establish some idea of your lineage and where your roots truly come from. Unless your name has some American aboriginal basis to claim TRUE North American Indian heritage, then most likely your relatives came to this continent by some other means than birth. Probably a boat, maybe a plane – and perhaps a few floated in on driftwood.

This is a great country, based nearly 100% on immigration – and those that were not immigrants had the land stolen from them. Check your history books and see how long the USA has been a country and how long the true North Americans have been here. There is a difference of a few thousand years. Now who’s the immigrant?

Suck it up folks – we are here on “their” land, not divided by some line in the sand, and “they” fill a niche in our culture that most others are not willing to lower themselves to.

If this is a truly free enterprise, democratic society, then those that are the best at the available jobs will always win over those less competent. It’s competition. Survival of the fittest. May the best man win, regardless of the color of their skin, their faith, their heritage, or their politics. These are the qualities that made this country great and none of us should be afraid to be an American on this basis – be they a “North American” or “United States of America-American”.

[DavidThePatriot]

You're correct, citizen. The reason this HISPANIC family cannot get a green card for the husband is due to all of the ignorant, bigoted, conservatives in this country who do not like HISPANIC people. You can see it all over the country. As long as they are not HISPANIC, a Senator or Congressman can help get the green card and nobody complains. But let them try and help a HISPANIC person, and all of the ignorant, bigoted, conservatives come out of the woodwork and complain. These conservatives are going to destroy our country just like the Nazis did in Germany.

[Melody Miller]

TOO BAD, SO SAD...WHAT ABOUT WRITING ABOUT THE ILLEGAL ALIEN THAT KILLED THREE PEOPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO.....I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THESE PEOPLE....

[Sandra]

Ha! Ha!

[Ed Weirdness]

Sounds to me like the parents and kids are coping just fine. Sure their whining that they can't get hubby a free ride to U.S. Citizenship because of his previous illegal actions, but do we really want to encourage this sort of immigrant to come here? Through their own bad decisions, life has handed them a few lemons. It's up to them as a couple to make the best of their life together in Mexico, and stop waiting and whining for someone to "let them into the Unisted States" so they can take advantage of all the free stuff! My guess is that sooner or later, the Mrs. will get tired of hubby sitting on his A_ _ and head back state side where the living is easy. What pathetic parental role models.

[mlimberg]

Sorry, check the laws first. I married my wife from Central America... she never broke the law and are living comfortably in the US with a second home on the beach in Costa Rica, her Country.

Following the law pays.... Illegals should try it, go home, and apply for LEGAL entrance.

[citizen]

Our politicians make rules as they go. Just a few months ago, a family from Turkey or Iran was permitted to stay because their son was a good student in Los Angeles. The family visited Los Angeles on a tourist VISA and never left. He got a job at the DMV, I don't know how, and began his life here. Someone reported this, and senator Diane Fienstein helped them get a permenant resident card. The family broke the law, and was able to plead to senators for permanant resident. If you make an exception for one family, than you should allow all those who seek a dream to stay. Life is not fair, but you see all the rules change. From what I see, rules can be broken.

[MB]

LAT...you're breaking my heart....at least, you're hoping you are.

illegal immigrants who marry and/or have children put those loved ones at risk. it is their fault alone.

this is another ramification of illegal immigration...they may come here 'just to work' as you say....

..but in reality, they close down hospitals, ruin local/state budgets, overfill schools (and then drop out) and also force us to feel guilty for wishing they never came here.