We've seen travesties of justice large and small today, and one of them actually comes as a bit of a surprise. One story you probably already know about: our twice-unelected war-criminal president has commuted the sentence of a warmonger convicted of perjury in a scam involving obstruction of justice at the very highest level. You may not be familiar with the other story: a regular working woman, a legal tax-paying resident who has not even been charged with a crime, faces deportation to a dangerous country for no apparent reason.I understand that Bella Maryanovsky is not alone, and that there are countless people who have been treated with incomprehensible cruelty by a thoroughly corrupt system, but I have been following her story and trying to support her cause, and this is heartbreaking news -- not only for Bella Maryanovsky and her family but for everyone who has been working on her behalf.
Larisa Alexandrovna tells the story:
Per my update yesterday, Bella's motion has been denied. She is to be deported unless we can make a case for political refugee status. She has been given 6 months to prepare her case. In the meantime, my father told me that although he is a citizen, he is afraid. My family and I lived under the Soviet regime and this situation is the first time since we escaped that oppressive national gulag that I have heard such things from my father. I have nothing else to add other than to say that my family gave up everything and risked everything to bring me to this country and it simply breaks my heart to hear my father tell me he is afraid.It has long been my suspicion that "Operation Return To Sender", the immigration-control program designed to harrass, incarcerate and deport legal immigrants, is primarily designed to induce fear. In this role it appears to be succeeding.
I may be able to write something approximating analysis later, but not now. I'm feeling badly enough about this myself; I can't imagine how they feel.
Some days the bad news is a lot more personal than others.
My thoughts and prayers are with Larisa and Bella and their family.