Surviving Spouses Against Deportation

Demanding an End to the Widow Penalty

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Widow Penalty Cases in the News
CBS News 60 Minutes aired a segment in June 2009 entitled "For Better or Worse", highlighting the cases of widows of American citizens who are denied U.S. residency only because their spouses died during bureaucratic immigration processing. You can watch the VIDEO online, or read the STORY on CBS News' website.
Watch the 60 Minutes Video by clicking here
Watch Video Here
07.04.09 - Fox News - Air Force Widow Fights Deportation

06.24.09 - TIME Magazine - Will Congress End the Widow Penalty?

06.10.09 - Wall Street Journal - U.S. Temporarily Suspends Policy of Deporting Widows of Citizens

06.09.09 - NYT - Widowed Spouses Are Given Reprieve on Deportation Rule

05.09.09 - The Charleston Gazette - Widow's American Dream Far from Grasp in Japan 

04.28.09 - New York Times Editorial - End the Widow Penalty

04.22.09 - Los Angeles Times - DHS Ordered to Reopen Immigration Cases

04.10.09 - Miami Herald - Congress Should Change the Law 

04.06.09 - Associated Press - Widowed Immigrants Fight Automatic Deportation

03.30.09 - Fordham Law Review: Ending the Widow Penalty 

03.18.09 - My Death Wish by Michele Hernandez

03.09.09 - San Antonio - Widowed Immigrants Also Could Lose New Homeland

02.18.09 - KY3 Missouri - Love Story Turns Into Nightmare for Widow Of Sailor

02.16.09 - SSAD Memorandum to Secretary Napolitano on Widow Penalty

02.02.09 - Press Release - Robinson v. Napolitano Ruling

02.02.09 - New York Times - Widow of Staten Island Ferry Victim Is Not Eligible for Residency, Court Rules

02.02.09 - New York Times - Loss of Spouse Leads to Widow Penalty 

11.30.2008 - The George Washington Law Review: From Bereavement to Banishment

11.24.08 - YouTube - Loss of Love and Country Video

11.23.08 - CBS News 60 Minutes Exposes Widow Penalty - Bob Simon Reporting (Video).

10.06.08 - New York Post - Heartache Alien Nation - Widows Have No Home

09.22.08 - Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Time to End Widow's Penalty

09.09.08 - ABC News New York - Ferry Crash Widow Faces Deportation

09.09.08 - North Jersey - Staten Island Widow Facing Deportation - Third Circuit Hears Arguments 

07.23.08 - Fox News St. Louis, Missouri - Navy Spouse Faces Widow Penalty

07.18.08 - DesMoines Register - Lawmakers Discuss Fate of Widow Penalty

07.11.08 - Congressional Quarterly - Judiciary Panel Approves Widow Bill, With King Opposing

07.11.08 - National Journal - House Subcommittee Nudges Widow Bill Forward, Only King Opposes

07.11.08 - AILF Litigation - Court Certifies Circuit Wide Class in Surviving Spouse Suit 

07.10.08 - Congress Now - House Immigration Subcommittee Advances Widow Bill 

07.01.08 - Orange County Register - Immigrant Widows Can Sue DHS for green cards

07.01.08 - La Opinion - Castigadas Por Quedar Viudas

06.30.08 - La Opinion - Front Page - Castigadas Por Quedar Viudas Antes De Tiempo

06.12.08 - Information Week - Second Life Artist Faces Real Life Deportation Due to Death of Spouse 

06.01.08 - Acclaimed Metaverse Artists Faces U.S. Deportation

06.01.08 - Second Life Artist Loses Husband and Faces Deportation

05.29.08 - A Widow's Blog - What happens to us legal immigrants

05.13.08 - Congressman McGovern Introduces Widow Bill

03.28.08 - National Public Radio's This American Life program with Ira Glass to highlight the widow penalty.  For information on radio stations near you, please visit the station finder to locate a channel to listen.  You can also listen online as well.

03.01.08 - Pantagraph - Widow Trying to Stay in U.S. After Husband Was Killed In Iraq

02.12.08 - Demanda reclama la residencia para viudos de ciudadanos estadounidenses

02.12.08 - Widow Champion Tom Lantos Dies at age 80.  Rep. Lantos was instrumental in helping the widow Anisha Foti, whose husband died while a State Department Diplomatic Courier.  While his efforts only resulted in residency for Anisha alone, his efforts are not forgotten.  See page 8 of the State Department Magazine from 2003 outlining his instrumental role. 

02.08.08 - Miami Herald - Veteran's Widow is Granted Residency

02.07.08 - Florida War Widow Wins, Others Left Behind (press release)

01.29.08 Sina (Chinese Language News) - Widow Penalty Class Action Hearing 

01.29.08 - Univision's Aqui y Ahora show Exposes the Widow Penalty (video)

01.23.08 - Florida War Widow's Petition Approved!

01.10.08 - Miami Herald Editorial - End the Widow Penalty 

12.16.07 - Wizbang - Conservative Blogger Declares Taing Case a Legal Victory in the Fight Against the Widow Penalty

12.16.07 - Citizen Orange Blogs on the Widow Penalty

12.12.07 - Diana Engstrom War Widow Faces Deportation 

09.10.07 - Bee Capitol Bureau - Life Capsized After Husband's Heroic Death - Young Widow Struggling to Stay in U.S.

09.02.07 - San Diego Union Tribune - Hero's Widow May Be Forced to Leave U.S.

08.31.07 - MSNBC - Foreign-born widows face deportation

08.31.07 - American Bar Association Journal - Spouse's Death Ends U.S. Residency Quest

08.31.07 - KFI Radio Los Angeles - Surviving Spouses Sue for Green Cards (with audio)

08.31.07 - KATU News - Chance for Widows to Stay Hinges on One Word (video)

08.30.07 - National Law Journal - Getting Citizenship for Immigrant Widows

08.30.07 - SFGate - AP - Lawmakers: Widow of Man Who Died Saving Others Should Stay in U.S.

08.30.07 - OPB News - Portland Attorney Challenges Federal Widow Penalty (with audio)

08.29.07 - CBS - Husband Dies Saving 2 Boys, Wife Now Being Deported (video)

08.29.07 - CBS - Widow of Man Who Died Saving Boys May Be Deported

08.29.07 - International Herald Tribune - Attorney Plans Class Action to End Immigration Widow Penalty

08.29.07 - USA Today - Foreign Born Widows Face Deportation

08.29.07 - California Legislature Introduces Assembly Joint Resolution 35 to show support for Jacqueline Coats

08.16.07 - KCBS News San Francisco - Coast Guard, Pelosi Honor San Leandro Hero, his surviving spouse Jacqueline Coats faces deportation

08.06.07 - Widow Penalty on New York Fox News Morning Show (video)

08.06.07 - Florida Widow Raquel Williams Interviewed on Fox News (video)

05.03.07 - Las Vegas Review-Journal - Head-On Collision - DUI Driver Goes to Prison, Spouse of Victim becomes Widow Penalty Victim

04.09.07 - Aporrea - Deportaran a una venezolana que perdio su esposo en Irak

02.01.07 - Brainstorm Northwest Magazine - Play by the Rules, Get Deported

12.21.06 - WTOL Toledo - Iraq Marine's Widow Now Facing the Fight of Her Life

10.12.06 - WESH Orlando - Florida Woman May be Deported After Husband Dies in Iraq

08.25.06 - Florida - Woman's Immigration Woes Begin With Husband's Death

08.20.06 - St. Petersburg Times - Husband Dies During Immigration Interview - Widow Fears Widow Penalty

01.01.06 - Oregon Business Magazine - The Widows Defense

11.15.05 - Widow of Academy Grad Wins Benefits, Right to Work, But Still Faces Uncertain Future - Tennessee

10.24.05 - OPB News - After 29 Years in Portland, Woman May be Deported Under Widows Penalty

09.21.05 - Willamette Week - Widows Lament - A Portland Case Highlights a National Problem

09.12.05 - The Capital - Tennessee Senator Takes up Navy Widow's Battle

09.04.05 - The Capital - Ensigns Widow Destitute, Facing Immigration Fight - Tennessee

08.09.05 - Congressional Research Service - Library of Congress - Widow Penalty Number 2 Most Common Private Bill Enacted

06.24.05 - Vanderbilt Medical Student Drowns Leaving Spouse to fight Widow Penalty

06.22.05 - Fox News Chicago - Senators Durbin and Obama Try to Help Immigrant War Widow

06.14.05 - Obama, Durbin Introduce Bill in Senate to Keep War Widow from Being Deported

05.12.05 - You Magazine - American Dream Becomes Nightmare

04.28.05 - Lowvelder South Africa - Sent Home for Losing Spouse

03.17.05 - South Alabamian - Russian Immigrant Does Not Want to Leave Her Southern Home due to the Widow Penalty

12.15.04 - CFIF Proposes End to Widow Penalty

12.02.04 - Washington Post - Front Page - Widows Face U.S. Deportation

01.01.03 - State Department Magazine - Anisha Foti, Widow of State Dept. Employee Saved by Private Bill (p.8)

07.22.02 - 9/11 Hero's Widow Can Stay in U.S. through Patriot Act Legislation after Suffering Fear of Widow Penalty

07.16.02 - Anisha Foti - Widow of Diplomatic Courier - Private Bill Report