Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) announced today that Mrs. Zhenfu Ge, who came to the United States from China in 1998 to help care for her dying daughter and two grandchildren, will be able to stay in America while she completes the immigration process. Mrs. Ge is a beneficiary of the "Family Immigration Sponsor Act" which passed in the House today 404 - 3.

Shortly after Mrs. Ge’s arrival in the U.S., Mrs. Ge’s daughter filed an immigration petition on her behalf. Eleven days before Mrs. Ge’s scheduled Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) interview, her daughter died. Because the INS law mandated that the sponsor be an adult blood relative, Mrs. Ge faced deportation. With the passage of this bill, Mrs. Ge, and people in a similar situation in which their blood relative sponsor has died, will be able to stay in this country to care for their families.

"A family tragedy should not be compounded by the deportation of a grandmother who was caring for her two young grandchildren," said Rep. Woolsey. "Without Mrs. Ge, a living link to the children’s mother and their family traditions would be lost forever. Forcing Mrs. Ge to abandon her family during this time would only add to the suffering of her young granddaughter and grandson."

Rep. Woolsey has been fighting to keep Mrs. Ge in the country so she could take care of her family. Last Spring, Rep. Woolsey introduced H.R. 2011, a private bill to allow Mrs. Ge to remain legally in the U.S. while she completes the process for legal status. Rep. Woolsey is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1892, the "Family Immigration Sponsor Act," which has already passed the Senate. The final bill will be sent to the White House to be signed into law.