INS: Victims' Families May Stay
Foreign nationals who lost relatives in the Sept. 11 attacks, including a British woman whose immigration status was uncertain after the presumed death of her husband, will not face deportation, federal officials said Wednesday.
Deena Gilbey of Chatham Township had feared she would be have to leave the country because her husband was lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
She and her husband, both British, had spent the past eight years in the United States. Their two sons were born in the United States and are American citizens.
Days after the attacks, Gilbey said she was told the couple's visa was not valid after her husband's death and she would have to leave or face deportation.
INS spokesman Russ Bergeron said the agency will not act against people like Gilbey and is looking for a solution. Options include offering Gilbey a work permit, he said.
"We're committed to finding a remedy for Ms. Gilbey and for any other person like her who have an immigration issue that's arisen because of the loss of a loved one," Bergeron said.
Newark INS spokesman Kerry Gill said a meeting was planned with Gilbey later this week.
Gilbey did not immediately return calls for comment Wednesday.
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