Holy s. Frightening to believe you're a US citizen for 20 years (with a valid US passport that was renewed multiple times) only to have the rug pulled out from under you and face assured deportation to a country you have no connection to. Talk about ineffective counsel. It's nothing short of incredible that he was able to prevail despite the odds.
I had no idea.
"Klaiber presented this situation. Klaiber had been in the United States since he was eight-years old. Ex. 2; ECF No. 166 Tr. 71:10-17. His entire nuclear and extended family are United States Citizens. Id. at 114:3-12. For nearly four decades, he has embraced the United States as his home. Id. He knows no one in Guyana. Id. ; see also Lee , 137 S. Ct. at 1963 (petitioner immigrated at the age of 13 and has lived here for three decades); see id. at 1968 (entire family lived in the U.S. and has no ties to home country); Swaby , 855 F.3d at 243 (noting defendant has "long familial ties to the United States, including a wife and children").
Accordingly, and understandably, Klaiber also confirmed that his desire to remain in this country was of "paramount importance."
Lee ,
137 S. Ct. at 1965 ; ECF No. 166 Tr. 114:3-20 ("
t's been a complete shock and a life-changing situation for me .... I'm fighting for my life right now.")."