Today in Tonedeaf

The United States is trying to deport the wife of missing US soldier Alex Jimenez. Jimenez was serving in Iraq when his platoon was attacked by insurgents and he was kidnapped. He had applied for a green card for his wife, Yaderlin Hiraldo--the act of which alerted US authorities to her immigration status. Incredibly, the US is refusing to grant her a hardship wavier, meaning that she could be deported as her husband is likely being tortured (if he is not already dead) for fighting for America.

"I can't imagine a bigger injustice than that, to be deporting [the wife of] someone who is fighting and possibly dying for our country," [attorney Matthew] Kolken told WBZ.
[...]
"She may never be able to return to the United States, to visit her husband's grave if necessary," Kolken said.

Their third wedding anniversary was last week.

An immigration judge has been sympathetic, putting the case on hold since Alex Jimenez was reported missing. But her case is in limbo, and her future in this country uncertain.

She is currently with family members in Pennsylvania.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has asked federal immigration officials not to deport Hiraldo.

In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Kerry said the grief and stress being felt by Hiraldo should not be compounded by worries about her immigration status.

"Under no condition should our country ever deport the spouse of a soldier who is currently serving in uniform abroad," Kerry said. "I feel even more strongly in this case, given the terrible uncertainty surrounding Army Specialist Alex Jimenez."

In his letter, Kerry urged that no action be taken against Hiraldo while her husband remains missing.

"I believe this is a very real test of our government's compassion for a military family which has already made enormous sacrifices for the United States," he wrote.

Via Shakes, who noted that the only reason this deportation is happening is because a US soldier wanted to do things the legal way. Unbelievable.