The Fermoy lad

[dahamsta]

Am I missing something here? I'm not getting the outrage. The guy overstayed his visa, got caught, and is being deported, what's the problem exactly? Everyone knows the risks involved in overstaying a visa, everyone knows America's ridiculous stance on pot convictions, his getting married was his choice in spite of all of that. If he was ignorant of all of this, that's his lookout, it was his job to research it before travelling.

What's going on at the American borders is disgusting, their refusal to comply with international agreements on asylum is infuriating, the Nazification of Border Patrol and ICE is absolutely terrifying, but isn't this basically open and shut? You take the risk, and if you get caught you put your hands up and accept it. And you ask Ireland to take in your wife and kids, and we almost certainly say yes.

I have to be missing something. What am I missing?

[sidewayspasser]

Not getting it either. In my view, it's entirely his own fault.
It seems he tried and failed a few times legalising his status. So it should have dawned on him that this won't work forever.

[osarusan]

I don't think you are missing anything.


He may have thought that they'd make make an exception/use discretion considering the hard-working taxpayer he is now, and seems just have gone on hoping it would all be sorted out eventually, but it should have been increasingly clear it wouldn't be.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Its a case of the law being applied to the letter, when this may work against the spirit of the law. The guy's lived there for years, married, family, contributes to the economy, etc, etc. Not letting him stay over what is described as a minor charge years ago seems harsh, almost self-defeating.

But I agree that he doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. Irish media has always had a bit of a bugbear over the "undocumented" in the States, as if they are some kind of persecuted group, deserving of greater consideration than other immigrants (ie, ones that aren't white or speak English as a first language). The Irish at least have the nice fallback option of returning to a stable developed country.

[nigel-harps1954]

Irish in America seem to think they have some sort of god given right to overstay their welcome due to the "we built this place" attitude.

Deport the guy, bring his wife and kids with them, start their new life in Ireland, and everyone moves on.

[Eminence Grise]

Doesn't the wife have a child with a previous partner, which complicates the whole family moving to Ireland? Apart from which, she'd need to apply for permission to live and work here, and that can take up to a year to arrange through INIS. Anything arranged quicker than that would be because of exceptional circumstances, and the public service doesn't like creating exceptions - spoils all the pretty little rules. Poitical involvement might be needed, but that also creates a precedent.

I never understood the cavalier attitude Irish people show towards US visas. Arrogance? Head in the sand? Or some misguided belief that because we've had so much preferred treatment over the years because of political lobbying there'll always be an exception made for one of us?

[Real ale Madrid]

I never understood the cavalier attitude Irish people show towards US visas. Arrogance? Head in the sand? Or some misguided belief that because we've had so much preferred treatment over the years because of political lobbying there'll always be an exception made for one of us?

In the past it was easy to get set-up over there. If you are out of work for a year or so - head over on a VISA - find a job within a day or 2 - start enjoying your life again - lots of people took the risk and just stayed put. It certainly wasn't arrogance or head in the sand. If you are out of work for a long time and you suddenly find yourself back in a job - money in your pocket etc then its tough to turn around at the end of the VISA and go back to the land of not so plenty.

Nowadays I'm not sure why anyone would go to the US to work.

[Eminence Grise]

I take all that on board - I meant 'show' in the present not showed in the past. I remember growing up in Roscommon in the 80s when America was the main option for work, and there was nothing at home to come back to when a visa expired. I get why people of that generation took a risk. But I've seen lots of students over the last 18 years (*&!# - where has my life gone???) who think nothing of overstaying, even when there were Celtic tiger jobs in plenty, and again now that there is almost full employment. Being picked up and deported is always going to happen to somebody else. This chap had all the warning signals years ago when his application was rejected. Not making contingency plans then was head in the sand stuff.

But I totally agree with you wondering why anybody today would want to work in the US.

[Real ale Madrid]

Yeah in this particular case I think going over there 2007 - (the very height of the Celtic Tiger - unemployment hovering around 5%) - and wonder what was he doing. There is more to the story than meets the eye no doubt. I was more talking in general 80s early 90s and the Irish cavalier attitude to the whole thing and the reasons why it may have been worth the risk.

Its far from clear-cut that he will be allowed to stay but I guess there will be a fudge regarding the marijuana cases and a pardon on those that may not set such a big precedent and the story will have a happy ending (for him).