ATLANTA - A Georgia state senator's Colombia-born wife who went into hiding rather than face deportation turned herself in on Tuesday and was released when an immigration judge agreed to reopen her case.
Sascha Herrera, 28, who had gone into hiding after the order was issued, emerged from the Martin Luther King Federal Building hand-in-hand with her husband, Sen. Curt Thompson, a Democrat who is a strong advocate of immigration rights.
"When I first came here I was very scared. I'm glad the government agreed to reopen my case," Herrera said.
Government lawyer Terry Bird said a hearing will be held on a petition filed by Thompson to establish permanent residency for his wife. Herrera's lawyer, Charles Kuck, said he expects the hearing will be held in the next two to four months.
Herrera had been in hiding since Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrived at her home Nov. 28 with an order to remove her from the U.S. She was not home at the time.
2006-12-07
14:48:59
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