INS gives approval to deported alien's marriage

The Immigration and Naturalization Service on Wednesday gave its blessing to a marriage between a Las Vegas woman and a man the agency deported in December.

"The fight's not over till he gets home and we can go on with our life," said Genie Goel, 46, whose husband, Suresh, 42, admitted to illegally coming to this country in an effort to escape political and religious persecution in his native India.

Goel said her husband is in hiding at her parent's home in New Delhi, afraid to venture outside because of threats against his life.

The couple speak almost daily, running up a $1,200 phone bill since Goel was put on a plane Dec. 1.

Before Goel was deported, the INS refused to sanction the marriage, authorities said, because the ceremony took place when the illegal alien was under orders of deportation.

The INS also declined to accept hardship claims made by the Goels. Genie Goel has a heart condition and other medical problems. Her father has lung cancer and her mother died shortly before Goel was deported.

And it refused to accept Goel's request for political asylum.

However, after a 90-minute meeting with an INS officer Wednesday morning, the marriage was approved.

The officer could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

San Diego attorney Dario Aguirre, who has represented the Goels in their 18-month battle with the INS, said the agency also agreed to the hardship claims that included a request that Goel's return to this country be expedited.

He said paperwork supporting the change of heart by the local INS will be sent to the State Department at the American Embassy in New Delhi. Then it will be up to that agency whether to approve the marriage and the hardships.

"A major hurdle has been overcome," Aguirre said, but the battle is not over.

Though he said it will be difficult for the State Department to reject the Goels' claims, because of the amount of documentation in the case, it is still that agency's decision.

If the agency agrees with the INS, it will issue Goel an immigrant's visa.

How long that will take is anybody's guess, Aguirre says.

"The biggest problem is in India, the time it will take the machinery in place to issue the visa," he said.

Aguirre credited the tenacity of Goel's wife with the success in the deportation case. He expressed regret that the INS decision was not made earlier and that everyone had to suffer so much hardship.

"I'm very happy for her. She really did persevere," he said. "I credit Genie's incredible ability to stand up for herself and her husband and to get the media involved."

Aguirre believes publicity was an important factor in the INS decision.

Goel said she won't rest until she is reunited with her husband.

"I'm going to keep fighting. I will fight all the way till I get my husband home. I'm not stopping," she said.

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