Barack Obama

Bill aims to save woman from deportation

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

SPRINGFIELD JOURNAL REGISTER
By DAVE BAKKE

Widow of Athens resident killed in Iraq faces being sent back to Kosovo

Three Illinois congressmen will introduce today in Washington a special bill to keep a local woman whose husband was killed in Iraq from being deported to Kosovo.

Kosovo native Diana Engstrom, 25, is the widow of Todd Engstrom of Athens, who was killed in Fallujah in September. Todd Engstrom, 35, was in Iraq as a private contractor for the Army. His mission was training Iraqi security forces.

Todd and Diana were married at his parents' home on Dec. 29, 2003. They met in Kosovo while Todd was in that country with U.N. peacekeeping forces.

After their marriage, the Engstroms filed paperwork to gain permanent residence status for Diana Engstrom. But Todd Engstrom's death halted that process. Because he was serving as a private contractor to the Army, his widow was not protected by laws that govern survivors of military casualties.

Subsequently, the federal government started deportation proceedings against Diana. Her case is being handled by the Department of Homeland Security.

Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, both Illinois Democrats, will co-sponsor a "private relief bill" in the Senate that would effectively stop the deportation process. Rep. Lane Evans, R-Rock Island, will sponsor the bill in the House. The bill needs a simple majority in both houses to pass.

Last year, 400 such bills were introduced, but only three of them passed.

"We hope ours will be like those three," said Ron Engstrom, Todd Engstrom's father. He said the introduction of a private bill for Diana Engstrom is the best option available. An attorney from St. Louis who specializes in immigration cases explored a variety of other angles for the family, but with no success.

"We're hoping to get some national publicity before a vote," Ron Engstrom said, "so we're looking up Web pages and contacting people in the national media."

Diana Engstrom is newly employed and, if granted permanent residency, would most likely move to Tennessee to be closer to her husband's son, Dalton, who lives in Tennessee with his mother.

Diana promised her husband that if anything happened to him in Iraq, she would help raise 12-year-old Dalton.

Dave Bakke can be reached at 788-1541 or dave.bakke@sj-r.com.