I have a very close friend who, upon retiring, after decades of serving the community, moved to a small town in Mexico, where he met and married a wonderful local woman, several years ago.

Below, I will quote my friend's experience as an expatriate retired US Citizen (who I have known since high school), trying to visit America, his hometown, and home friends and relatives. There is no doubt at all that this is vacation, not some way to bring her in only to disappear. They have a life to return to. They don't WANT to live in the US, only to visit!

BTW, I testify that I know this person and he is not a terrorist, nor did he marry a terrorist, (although I have yet to meet his wife; that's why we're all anxiously wanting them to visit!).

I will refer to my friend in this blog as Jonstone, at his request.

In exchange for his anonymity, he allowed me to quote his candid discription of how our government treated her request.

They only want to visit the Northwest for a couple weeks or so and then go back to his idyllic home in the town he now now calls home. But let Jonstone describe it:

Greetings,

Many of you had asked that I keep you informed about X's Visa application to allow her to visit Washington with me.

She had her appointment today, and without looking at any of the documentation that she'd brought IE: 6 months bank statements (showing a stable income and monthly bills), Home and property deed, documentation proving 2 kids living in the house and attending school, Marriage licence showing that she's married to a Gringo, your government has decided that she didn't provide adequate proof/reasons that she would return to Mexico after our vacation scheduled for Aug/Sept.

They said that their reasons had nothing to do with her previous visa issues of 12 years ago, only their doubts that she would return.

They did say (once again) that we were welcome to re-apply. At $160.00 per application this must be a major money maker for someone, considering they spend about 3 min. looking over the application!!

Makes me proud to be an American! NOT!

We won't be reapplying.

We'll be making plans to vacation in a country that will welcome both of us.

I am saddened and angry that I can't meet and greet my friend's bride in my own home!

If there are specific charges that could be verified somehow, but to simply keep someone in limbo because of some unknown and presumably unfixable problem. (If you're not allowed to know the real reason, then you can't refute or defend yourself! And then to get $160 each time? Wow!

We know that were this someone "important", in the sense that they "knew" the right people, or if they had the resources for the best international attorneys, or if they were sponsored by a corporation that just happened to have given a big "campaign donation", then my friend's wife would no doubt waltz to the front of the line and given champaign on the way in!

This just isn't right.

I intend on writing a letter about this to my representatives, but if anyone who reads this knows a way for a great guy to have his wife accompany him to and from the Northwest for a vacation, please let me know, (or any other suggestions). I really want to meet her and show her that American hospitality is still alive!

Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for any ideas that would reverse this silly decision!