CISOMB gracefully backs out

The title of this post says it all doesn’t it?


To: Deza

I heard back from Senator Franken’s Office. They informed me that they have been in touch with the California Service Center (CSC), and the CSC is currently working on locating your husband’s file to address it. As I mentioned in our phone call, when two government offices duplicate a request to CSC it may only cause delays rather than expedite a resolution. Since Senator Franken’s office has already initiated a request to CSC on your behalf, our office will close your inquiry. However, if you find that at some point in the future you need our help, we will be happy to reopen your inquiry and see how we can assist you.

I wish you the best of luck as you work to resolve your husband’s case. Many thanks,
Lara

And then the phone rang...

I very rarely get phone calls, which probably has something to do with my hatred of talking on the phone, so whenever my phone rings I typically let it go to voicemail. This also serves the purpose of allowing me to screen my calls so I can avoid whichever collection agency is trying to contact me. Fools – you can’t collect from someone that doesn’t have any money. The only problem with this practice is my cell phone does not like dialing numbers or allowing me to access my call log; it routinely freezes or force-closes whenever I wish to call someone that is not in my contacts. I’m sure you can imagine the sense of panic I feel when the voicemail of a screened call is so important that I need to call the individual back immediately. Today was one of those times.

My phone rang and I almost answered it. It was a Washington D.C. area code, a fact I was aware of due to my previous experience with the CISOMB office. After a few moments of debate, I decided that letting it go to voicemail is the best course of action. If it was the government, I would be forewarned and if it was some other entity I probably didn’t want to talk to them anyway.

Why ME... continued...

This post is but a continuation of the previous days post as I'm sure you could guess by the title.  If you though the last post was enough to provoke a saint to violence...  just wait until you read this.

 

 

Dear Deza Mendez,

 

We are sorry that you did not receive the USCIS response you desired.  We will keep your inquiry closed, as your email requests, because Senator Al Franken’s staff is currently working to resolve your issue with USCIS.  Please do not hesitate to contact our office in the future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman

 

 

The author of this email cowardly neglected to put their initials on this email, but perhaps this was the point that drove me to write what is the best scathing email I have crafted to date.  I was beyond enraged after reading the first sentence that I saw nothing but red for a minute or three.  Knowing my temper the way I do, I consulted briefly with Lance to ensure that he didn't want us to let the case become closed.  He said that I should not allow them to close it and so I lowered the boom...  This email I am about to post here was sent to every individual and email address I had for the CISOMB office as well as to Diana, Lance, Graciela, and Molly.  This email I am about to post was GLORIOUS, a work or art, a thing of beauty, and crafted by the angriest woman in the world if only for that brief moment  in time.

 

 

Dear Anonymous CIS Employee:

 

I apologize for a delay in my reply but to tell you the truth I was flabbergasted when I read your response.  I am curious to know how you determined that I was requesting to close my inquiry, when in fact I was expressing my bewilderment at the gross misunderstanding I am suffering at the hands of USCIS and now the CIS Ombudsman office. 

 

I need the assistance of the CIS Ombudsman as even the office of Senator Al Franken is receiving conflicting information when USCIS deigns to answer their inquiries.  We have been caught in this no-man’s land for 6 months, and been trapped in immigration proceedings for an additional 5 years on top of that.  Please assist the Senator’s liaison to receive our file with all due haste so that we may continue the process.  I outlined the path we wish to follow, which was confirmed by our attorney Lance, in my first reply within this email thread.  Please ensure that our attorney, Lance, is not left out of any future correspondence.

 

I trust that the CIS Ombudsman office now understands the scope of my request for assistance and the enormous impact they may have on the life of a little girl who misses her daddy terribly.

 

Thank you again for your assistance and do not hesitate to contact me and our attorney Lance for additional information,

 

Deza Mendez

 

 

 

I did not receive any further response from the CISOMB, or Lance on this day.  The story doesn't end here, and damn it felt AWESOME to send that email.

 

Ciao

 

Why ME?!

You know, there are days when I can almost believe that I must have done something horrible in a past life to earn this ridiculous turn of events.  Let me show you the latest string of emails between myself, the CIS Ombudsman office, and our attorney that demonstrate the shabby treatment I receive on a regular basis.

Feather in the Wind

Today is June 18th, or exactly one month until the one year anniversary of our waiver denial, which is also known as the worst day of my life.  It's times like this when I wonder if there are really 'signs everywhere', and I'm just too deep into survival mode to see them.  Nothing has happened for weeks in regards to anything.  Alberto has been making noises about beginning the process of moving to Mexico to be a family again, and I've been thinking about it.  I get angry when people on the outside of the situation insist it would be a grand adventure to live abroad, because they are stuck looking at an international move as a 'perpetual vacation' instead of a logistics nightmare.  There is so much to think about and do before I can pack a single box and my head is swimming with questions like:         Will Alberto's business be enough to support the family?  Will I need a visa and how much will it cost?  Will Ashley need some special paperwork to go to school?  What the hell will I do with myself all day if I'm not working and am too afraid to leave the house on my own?  What will happen if Ashley gets sick?  Will I have access to mental health care?  What about when I get pregnant?  Will I have to resign to suffer from stomach ailments and diarrhea for the rest of my natural life because I can't handle all the grease and oil the food is cooked in?!?!