http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=920758A former Muslim, now a Christian pastor, is concerned that 17-year-old Rifqa Bary could be deported back to Sri Lanka when she turns 18 if she is unable to get approved for permanent U.S. residency.
A judge recently urged Rifqa Bary's parents to stick with a plan that calls for counseling toward reconciliation with their daughter who remains under foster care in Columbus, Ohio.
Young Rifqa ran away to Florida last summer because she feared her father would harm or kill her after she converted from Islam. Pastor Jamal Jivanjee, also a convert from Islam, has been advising the teenager since, and he believes the plan is not in the girl's best interest.
Jamal Jivanjee"They're still following this case plan put together by the Franklin County Children's Services that does call for reunification, and part of what needs to happen when they're following this plan is counseling," he explains. "That's why they're pressuring [for] counseling to happen."
The pastor adds that time is not on Rifqa's side because she is technically an illegal immigrant who will not have legal U.S. status if her dependency status is not resolved by her 18th birthday in August.
"The judge in the case is actually not being very cooperative with Rifqa's attorney, Angela Lloyd, as she is trying to move forward with getting Rifqa permanent residency status," Jivanjee notes. "It takes time to have this done, and if she turns 18 before she gets her permanent residency status, she'll have to leave the country -- and that's very dangerous for her."
Rifqa's advisor concludes that the judge should allow her attorney to pursue permanent residency, even though the dependency issue is not resolved.
Topic: Rifqa's immigration status tenuous (Read 2540 times)