BEAVERTON, Mich. (WNEM) — A woman is scrambling to stay in the states after living in mid-Michigan for decades.
Beaverton resident Brenda Durham from the U.K. said she has been a green card holder for almost 25 years and is worried that her days in this country could be numbered.
Durham’s green card expires in September. She told TV5 she’s been trying to renew it since April. She said she has never had a problem renewing it before, but this time is different.
“I’ve been very emotional, very upset, and I’m just plain scared,” Durham said.
Durham said she is trying for the fourth time since April to renew her green card. The first time, she said the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told her she filled out the wrong form.
Durham contends it was the form she downloaded directly from the USCIS website. She then downloaded the most recent form on her second attempt and sent a check for $465.
Durham said the USCIS told her the amount of money was incorrect. She disputed that. Durham said an online chat with the USCIS was not helpful.
She filled out the form for a third time and included information for the USCIS to receive payment directly from her bank account. But Durham said the USCIS told her she filled out the form incorrectly.
Now, she has hired an immigration attorney.
“When my green card was up for renewal, we filled out the papers, sent them in, they gave us the date of the appointment, we attended the appointment, they took our new photograph, they printed my card, and it was all straight forward,” said Durham. “I have sent my papers in four times now, and right now I’ve had to get an immigration lawyer that is costing us $1,200 to fill in paperwork which is very, very straight forward paperwork if you follow their instructions.”
Durham said her immigration attorney has an account with the USCIS, so she is hoping her green card will be renewed this time around.
“They need to stop attacking us,” Durham said. “Just let us file our papers. I’m retired. I’m not out there doing anything wrong. I’m sitting up here in the north quietly with my husband just trying to basically end out my retirement. I just want to enjoy my grandchildren. And why is that wrong?”
Durham hopes her green card is renewed before it expires in September. She fears that she may have to self-deport back to the U.K. or get deported.
TV5 reached out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for comment and will provide updates if they respond.
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Frantic and frustrated, Beaverton woman struggles to renew her green card – WNEM
