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Hi, I'm Eric Shaw Quinn and this is the Dinner Party Show
this is the actual dining room where we do the show and this is Brett
Churnin who is essential to our doing the show
and who is being challenged right now by the Department of Immigration Services
and the United States government about
his right to be here and so we wanted to get a little bit of a sense from Brett
up let the whole experience has been like Brett what's the most frustrating
part of this whole
ongoing, I don't know, argument that you're having with the INS
I think the most frustrating part is the fact there's no recourse
some, somebody in in a in a
an office in Nebraska makes a decision based on some paperwork that he's seen, and
-- Has he ever met you or talked to you? -- Nope, there's no way talking to these people
and calling on the phone
Can't call, there's no interview, they make a decision
you can sometimes they'll allow you to appeal if there's new evidence
I'm but if it's just, um, an opinion which it is
basically then I'll based on his opinion I am
you can't there's no way to go there's no recourse that's the most frustrating
so what were you trying to accomplish? You've been-- it's like a seven-year process
that you've been participating in, right? -- It is
and this is entirely gonna, this is nothing illegal about this is what legal
immigration in this country is like
you are legally pursuing, what? -- It's a long process
basically because there is a long line, or a quota
visas to become green cards -- So only a certain number of people every year, so you have to get in line
that's right --You did that -- We did that, the green card was approved
several years ago and then you're basically in a line waiting for it to
become
basically become current so you can actually receive your green card.
When it was ready to be, become a green card and they called adjustment
of status when you
they actually give you the green card they found an error in the initial paperwork
paperwork which is filed by the attorney
in fact it was three different bits of paper
saying 'check box,' 'check box' was marked incorrectly
Um, and they denied it. So
the, we, um — and let's be clear this wasn't like some
big issue this was have you filled out this paperwork before was basically what
they ask the question
and you had but then you hadn't really filed it because you you didn't think
you needed it
it was to do with a previous application which, originally I
came here back in 2002, I came on a different type of visa
I came with a UK company, transferred here
to, to the US and
um, that was withdrawn after a couple years -- so you didn't file it
it was filed
say spoke in your hands while before and you had kinda file before but you really
have to have been having withdrawls
yes the terrible d agree just think that they left out they
they file the paperwork but then they didn't complete the process but the chat
that they have the balcony or terrace I miss any they they forgot to mention the
fact that they
so it wasn't like he forgot to mention that although I was convicted at the
Ingham
bank robber or something it was that you had not do that was about as a previous
obligation as a contact form
so is a total paperwork error about paperwork
yet but okay so anyway yes so you so
they found is everywhere and anywhere a mandate they
immediately them denied it and send said and I don't know she's through this is
after having Waseem several years ago says six six or seven years
for it to come to the front of the queue six months before it was
it was ready to be a.m. issued they said that it was obvious mistakes as you know
I'd
so vs any immediately filed a an appeal
saying that it was the think they put a subpoena never
affidavit together saying that it was a their alleged
Clara Clara purely a clerical error sorry here it is
you know he's in his retraction I meanwhile
all through all this press has work sponsor brett has been
you know regular taxpaying citizens a homeowner
his regular resident your part in this community and as you know
an essential part of the democratic show and a lot of other businesses
yeah that process right I am so
you know we tried using right that the whole way through and and trying to get
everything
over paperwork so they're ensure me in an effort to help
I got in touch with our senators senator feinstein
not really senator feinstein senator Feinstein's office and they were love
life
and there were enormous Lee helpful and if you will that we dealt with wonderful
and
we began the process with the senator the support is in his office they
advised as to fill out app the Davidsons do our part
which we did we've got everything ready and then the INS
sad what what happened once we got best basic less I got letters from 30s people
that I work for different different client companies such as yourself right
very nice that is saying
you have a *** partner business that is very important for me to be here
and you know about the past and a stand up guy
yeah so we've been together a long and
with senator Feinstein's office also put a a.m.
a note on the case to say that they had interest in the case and that they were
in it
and then we very much appreciate right and then
three months later they determined that said they would and that they can I did
again
based on the fact that few a few other factors that brought up such as the fact
that I've been spending a lot of time here
much wei-wei people's my is a IR what is it that they thought you were guilty i
feels guilty all
a.m. immigrant intent while you're not immigrant visa which means he was guilty
of thinking about emigrating before he got here
like does that sound like a crime to you it doesn't really sound all that
like bigger than if that's the name he decided that I that while I was here are
known about visa
that I was intending to stay here because I bought a property here
a because I spending will rise with anybody wind up here it's not that they
plan to get here it's like
oh where are we I guess we'll just continue living here I were
I cannot now sit with her and I think that we have to send the the
the pilgrims in the Mayflower home on that particular score
anyway so Daniel Chen who works in senator Feinstein's office
heard this from the INS and he decided feel
he cookin sorry he called he called me and I
took over and anti because up to that point I begin with somebody that works
we'll never met this guy never heard of them just suddenly inserted himself into
the gaza
he wants to know why I hadn't told misinformation before
obvious that if no I didn't you know I think it was it was an issue is with
think I was a problem and he said that
you know because that the the UCIS which is the Immigration Department
had found this out that they're never wrong and so it's it's that that there
was a 27 it correctly aligned the Immigration Department doesn't make any
mistakes that's why
with this giant national issue about immigration reform
because they've done a flawless job so far and that they were unable to help
any any any further because they they so
as a result the withdrawal olives and urges for
actually made sense that matters worse and the senator still doesn't know
anything about it and we don't know who the hell Daniel Chaidez
so we're actually asking that you get involved
held out Brad am the dinner party said we would also really like the Asus
his preferred is an essential part of how we got to be on the air
and just ask senator feinstein to
ask Daniel Chan to mind his own business
and to reassert her supporters you can do anything more than that will
certainly appreciate it I
telegrams already well as we certainly will hear but we basically are just
trying to get
Daniel chair whoever the hell that might be
out of the process and get Brett settle down I can imagine like you people
living with his
sword of Damocles I any day now somebody call gets a
for you know I could receive a notice a them
you know notice to lead to quit the country at any time just
I see get that is its you know matter silo guess
I just got a lot of other personal impact your partner had the same
issue and had to return his mother's death or is it says his mother with
terminal cancer
the it's a it's a leave and he can't come back
it was the same same situation the same boxes about his paperwork while some
mine so it was this the exact the same scenario
he couldn't fight anymore because he has to leave the country so obviously he
couldn't fight it and once he left
they would let him come back even to visit and you can't go to that guy can't
leave
here he comes come here so you know the last two years would be but we've been
apart
so yes it hasn't seen his partner for this whole time
another thank you very much mister Jen that's a huge help
very humanistic love you so you know I just look at the simpson helps a bill to
get
units to be able to discuss it with the department so that we can at least
get somebody sensible that can a is able to to help her look at because any
person is that looks at it the look to the situation will get to see that it
was an error
who it was nothing obviously is an error and everybody who stepped forward as
step forward on your behalf because your stand-up regular member of the community
in
I just think it's a I this if you have any doubts about immigration needing to
be reformed
these the human consequences a a
perfectly decent man trying to pursue legal immigration in this country that
it's just a green card not even actually estimates for bringing
way and that and this is how much did it seven years this is taken and now
any minute he can be thrown out of the country because he might have thought
about
emigrating here before an hour before you got here or you actually alive go
before the application is my doesn't that that's how the goodness this is
any way you can help out by just simply
writing more emailing senator feinstein asking her to throw her support back by
Bretts
efforts to you yeah work here is a legal citizen
and then we'll start in trying to get Raja back or at least you'll be able to
go home and visit
exactly right sell your your the key
we're counting on you thank you thanks for your help and thanks but thanks for
sharing your story with us Thanks for
things for get the dinner party so I'm here would really appreciate that
hope you guys you too