He Came Here Right, So Let's Help Him Fight!

My wife and I are lucky enough to be friends with a wonderful couple that have an amazing story. Mahleah and Sandy MacDonald have a unique love story; they didn't meet in a bar, or in school, or even just happen to bump into each other randomly. They fell in love across an ocean in the early days of online social media all the way back in 2006.       "Even though Sandy and I have been married for a little less than a year now, we have known each other for 13 years. As time went on, we considered one another our dearest friend. We occasionally would fall out of touch as life "happened", but whenever one of us would reach out, it was like no time had passed. About 3 years ago, we each confessed that we had always had feelings for one another, but had kept it secret. After a two-week vacation to meet in person in March 2017, things still clicked between us perfectly. We took the plunge and filed for the K1 fiance visa. We have crossed all of our t's and dotted all of our i's. However, what amounts to a clerical error has turned our world upside down. Sandy and I are going to fight this decision, and we've gathered even more supporting evidence that our paperwork was always correct, and USCIS has made a grave mistake."       They struggled for a long time to make their dream of being together a reality. We have a very complicated immigration system and many people who try to come here legally just give up or decide to come illegally. As a former U.S. ARMY Solder and someone who met my spouse online, I hold a special place in my heart for these two. I love their story, their passion, and their commitment to do things the right way. These two took the time, saved every penny they could, followed all the rules and guidelines set before them, and finally the day came where Sandy was granted his visa. They were married on June 28th 2018 and it was the happiest day of their lives together so far.       Everything looked great for the two of them. Then four days ago, Monday March 4th, they received a letter that would shake them to their very core. Sandy's green card was denied and he received an order to leave the country by the end of the month. All of this because of an error made by immigration in understanding Scottish paperwork they provided as part of the application.       Unfortunately, a simple phone call wont fix this issue, neither will a certified letter or a call to our local Congressman. When my wife told me the news I was absolutely stunned. These are close friends of ours and good people. I couldn't understand why they would tell him that he had to leave the country over something so simple. Thankfully, I was able to get them an appointment set up with an Immigration lawyer and spoke with the Constituent Services Representative Susie Hudson from Congressman Tom Rice's office on their behalf.          So now we have a plan set in motion, but the other half of that plan is paying for it. They only have a small window of time to put in a motion to reconsider their case, so saving for this all by themselves isn't an option. Sandy was forced to quit his job when his employment authorization was also terminated at the same time.       This is just the beginning when it comes to the potential trouble of trying to keep Sandy here. His wife, who works 2 full time jobs, is also set to miss work for anticipated trips to Charleston, appointments, and necessary errands. Just to file a motion to reconsider the case is nearly $700. If the motion is denied, it's an additional $1200 to refile a whole new application. The lawyer requires an initial payment of $2500 after the $200 Consult and if its anything more than just a basic motion that fee could easy triple to more than $7000. In addition to all of that, there is the normal cost of living and the emotional toll that they will have to pay all the way through this ordeal.       I'm hoping for a speedy resolution and your support in any amount to help them pay for all of these legal fees. Any amount will be greatly appreciated, but please remember this is a big number to hit and they have only a little over two weeks to get there. Thank you for reading, thank you for caring. Thank you for your donations and God bless you!