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Journalism of Courage
When accountant Deepika Sattaluri went to work at the WTC on 9/11, she had lived in the US two months. Working as an information systems auditor for an India-based software company, Sattaluri had recently been assigned to work at Marsh & McLennan. Indian-born Sattaluri, had an L-1 visa, issued for people with specialised knowledge. After she died on 9/11, her husband could only extend his L-2 family visa through January 31, 2004. He wants to stay in the US to get mental health care for their now nine-year-old son, Amish, who could do fractions in India but can’t do simple addition since losing his mother.
Anywhere from 100 to 150 families in the tri-state area have lost the right to live in this country — or will soon lose it — because they lost a relative in the attacks, local immigration advocates estimate.
Because relatives had not applied for a green card before they died, their survivors were not granted the right to remain permanently in this country under the Patriot Act, although the law did grant them up to a year’s extension.
Sudha Acharya, president of the Queens-based South Asian Council for Social Services, has worked with Sattaluri and three other Indians whose spouses were killed on 9/11. ‘‘There is a moral responsibility for the US to take care of these people,’’ Acharya said. ‘‘They were working here for the US.”
A few politicians have spoken out — Gov George Pataki asked US Attorney General John Ashcroft to address the problem in a January 21 letter, while NJ Senator Jon Corzine has introduced legislation in the Senate. In Corzine’s bills introduced in 2001 and spring 2003, the federal government would have offered citizenship to foreign nationals who died on September 11 and their spouses and children. His current proposal would allow them to apply for permanent residency. Even some proponents of strict enforcement of current laws say they don’t oppose granting them citizenship. The Patriot Act extended visas or allowed family members to stay on the visa they had on 9/11, he said. Others can replace their visas with tourist or student visas, but the change won’t be permanent.
Families of undocumented immigrants who died, have even less hope, said Veronica Gimenez, a Restaurant Opportunities Center of NY staffer who works with undocumented immigrants. She said. ‘‘None of them felt comfortable talking to any agencies after 9/11.’’ (LAT-WP)
