SAN FRANCISCO — A family's effort to keep a 74-year-old grandmother from being deported to China ended happily for the woman, and the act of Congress she inspired could benefit hundreds of other immigrants.
Zhenfu Ge emerged from an Immigration and Naturalization Service hearing with her green card Wednesday, allowing her to stay in the United States to help her American son-in-law care for her 4-year-old granddaughter and adolescent grandson.
Ge had been mere days from getting the green card in April 2001 when her daughter — and sponsor of her application for permanent residency — succumbed to cancer.
Under the law at that time, Ge's chances of staying legally in the United States died with her daughter.
Ge's son-in-law, John Mark, 51, petitioned elected leaders for help. They obliged by introducing "private relief" legislation to let Ge stay.
Ge's bill appeared on its way to the president's desk when lawmakers decided to address the issue with a broader stroke. The resulting law, passed in March and signed by President Bush, lets anyone with a pending green card application change family sponsors if the original sponsor dies — so long as INS had approved the original application.
The legislation let Ge's American son-in-law take over sponsorship of her green card. Before, only a child, sibling, spouse or parent could do that.