Was it right for the U.S Gov't to deport an 81 yr old elderly women ex-Nazi dog handler?

Question

A German woman named Elfriede Rinkel had led a quiet life in America for over 40 years -- with her Jewish husband. But now she's been deported for lying about her job as a dog handler at the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbrück.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nazi20sep20,0,4349466.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Answer 1

She never applied for citizenship because she knew they would do a background check, and her past excluded her and that she'd lied on her visa application.

So, not being a citizen she had no legal rights to speak of; unlike the Demjanjuk case, the Justice Department didn't have to revoke a citizenship first and find a country (Ukraine) that would take him.

They just had to say, "sorry, you lied, get out!"

Like any other illegal immigrant who comes to the USA fraudulently. You lie to a consul or to an immigration inspector and your visa (and green card if any) are void.

I don't know what the comment about her not registering [in Germany, presumably with the town hall, as is common in civil-law countries?] is all about. Here's what the LA Times (link below) says about her deportation:

"She was given until Sept. 30 to leave the United States.

"She left Sept. 1. Some distant relative took her in, and she dutifully reported to the U.S. Consulate office in Frankfurt that she was back home.

"Eighty-three is a hard time to make one's life over, and Dixon said that she could still face charges in Germany for her wartime duty at the concentration camp.

"But whatever happens, she will probably die in the land of her birth.

"Alive, she is legally barred from reentering the United States.

"In death alone could she be returned."

Answer 2

Oh well.... let me add my two bits to the discussion. I'm an American and ten years ago when I was working in Taiwan met a Filipina caregiver. She seemed like a nice person, so when our contracts were over (both within a month of each other), we went to Philippines. She knew that I did not intend to go back to live in the States, but it didn't bother her. We got married here in a civil wedding (word of caution - there is NO divorce here) and live happily together for these ten years. She is now 48 and I am 72. I have a 47 year old daughter who is about 10 years younger than her husband, and a 46 year old son, The 37 year old son passed away about 2 months ago two days before his daughter was born... but that's another story. The Filipinos have very tightly knit families and it could be that the girl friend is sending some of the money to to her mother or her father (the retirement here if any, really sux). Have them marry somewhere else if you think it won't pan out, but please, give them a chance.

Answer 3

excerpt from link
The Justice Department alleged that Rinkel had used attack dogs to march emaciated inmates to slave-labor sites. More than 130,000 women from dozens of countries -- Jews, gypsies and others -- were brought to Ravensbruck during its six years of existence. More than two-thirds of them died of malnourishment,

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/20/NAZI.TMP

I am not sure about this one.
If she can get deported then why not hunt down people that were involved with atrocities in Bosnia.
Or the kids that were soldiers in African genocides who chopped the arms off people or participated in rapes and mutilation..
Is the woman that marched prisoners to be worked to death worse than the guy in Yugoslavia that participated in murder of people from the next village?
But.
The German people lived in a terroristic police state during the Nazi Era. They could be thrown into concentration camp themselves.

If an SS officer showed any compassion or humanity whatsoever towards a prisoner he had his head shaved, his uniform stripped off, he was beaten, and then became camp inmate himself.

The woman is 81 years old.
Back then she was in her late teens early twenties.
Was she under duress to perform these tasks?.
Or did she, like a lot of young people(then and now), have a natural sadistic streak?
She should be held accountable but don't know if I would approve of severe punishment.

Answer 4

No, I think that's a bit much. Put her on house arrest or something, because obviously if she married a Jewish man she is no long the same person as she was then. At 81 years old, how much longer does she got??

Answer 5

So what if she lived here, she committed crimes and should be tried for them. Besides they sent her back and she was supposed to register with the authorities and she hasn't so she probably took off again

Answer 6

Do you have any links to that story? I just read a small version of it and it is sad they took this long to find that out, but done is done.

Answer 7

yes. if we let her get away with that type of crime every one else who have committed or will committ in the future will base that judgment and fight to stay here on the verdict.

Answer 8

if she was living near the tenderloin she just upgraded her living situation

Answer 9

sorry to say I agree to deport her, she lied

Answer 10

yes