Comments about ‘West Valley City family cites religion in fighting deportation’

Illegal is illeagl. All must be deported, reguardless of religion, race or nationality.

Deseret News: Thanks for publishing a story on this and bringing attention to the story and this famiily that needs help! If anyone wants to come out and support this family there will be a pressconference on saturday november 21st at 11 am... at the LDS meeting house in wvc @ 6000 w and 4195 s the public is invited ... there will be a flyer with a website address handed out also in case you want to read more specifics

please come out help this family they need all of our help. you have read the story. what would you have done if it was you I can't even imaginge what the family has gone through and my son is married to one of the daughters. the goverment is tearing a part a family. lets do the right thing and support them and do all that we can

This family did not come illegal and did not do anything illegal. They entered legally and applied for the things they were qualified to apply for, respecting all deadlines. The only reason they have to leave is because they are too legal to be allowed to apply for forms of deportation relief that illegals can apply for after ten years physical presence in this country. They cannot apply for deferred enforced departure because they do not have ten years illegal presence. They were here for almost eleven years though.

I am Engaged to one of the Van der speks daughters, I have been helping this family with Immigration. This situation has put the family under alot of stress, And if they get deported it tears my fiancee out of my life and my family. They have been here leagally. Payed taxes, and worked hard, and there not allowed to stay.

The Government is not tearing their family apart, they did that when they overstayed their Visas and became illegal according to our laws. They should of applied first, stood in line, and waited their turn like everyone else.

It's sad, but if the Government found no persecution, then their case is over and they should return.

Doesn't the LDS church send missionaries to Belgium? Have their been cases of persecution?

Interesting how the rhetoric of some people changes when it does not apply to poor illegal Latinos living on the other side of the city.

The US can't let in every person who wants to come here. We don't have the ability to take in 4 billion people, therefore we must enforce our borders and immigration laws.

I blame a good part of our current problem on immigration lawyers that encourage people to come here illegally (or overstaying Visas which makes them illegally in the country). They them file appeal on top of appeal to keep people here, giving them false hope.

The commissions "cult" classification was rejected by the Belgian Parliament a few months later, in May of 1997. As such, it seems to be a family feud, not uncommon when people join a church different from their parents. I hope they apply the right way, and wait their turn like my good neighbors family in the Czech Republic. The children born here have dual citizenship and could stay with their married daughters, or return home with their parents.

I have known this family for a long time, they are good people. This is a family that contributes to the community and yet they can't seem to catch a break. Lets all do what we can to help the Van der speks out.

Josh have you ever gone to school?

We are a nation of laws....Period. This is a very feeble excuse as far as I can see. Illegal is illegal.

If she is here illegally, deport her. Any religious group that allows criminal behavior in its flock is dishonest, LDS or others included. You can't have it both ways. Either sustain the laws, change them or quit pretending you are honest.

Its the law. Simple as that. After living abroad for years, we decided we wanted to live in the US. Our family went through a lengthy separation (my husband is an American citizen I am not) while we went through the immigration process. It was very expensive maintaining two households and hard on the family being apart, but our reasoning is such: If you love a country, you abide by its laws. As you demand exceptions then the country slowly ceases to be that thing you loved in the first place. The second thing was, do we want our children to respect the law? If so, how can we expect them to when Mom and Dad don't when its convenient? Yes many more people are affected now but the government isn't tearing this family apart. Their decisions are. Unfortunately, we cannot chose the consequences of our decisions.

It was established early on by an immigration judge that their asylum application is not frivolous. Only reason why it was denied and why they are getting all this trouble is because regardless of the proof ICE does not want to give them asylum because they come from Belgium. This family is not illegal. They had to flee and did everything right to file for asylum and it should have been granted. According to the UN any country, including Belgium, can produce legitimate asylum seekers. It should not have been denied with their country of origin as only reason.

If these folks were Mexicans or Latin Americans their case would merit little media attention, but being "white and delightsome" apparently qualifies them for all sorts of undeserved sympathy.

Two Options:

1. Divorce and each "marry" an American.

2. Get to Mexico (donations anyone?) and SNEAK in, like hundreds of thousands are DOING! Fill your lives with lies and deception, which is the norm now and you`ll be fine....!

This is infuriating when you consider the REAL immigration problem (ROTTON from head to toe!). It seems that the department would be EMBARASSED to even ACT like anyone ANYWHERE would take their rules, regulations and laws seriously... This entire thing is as MINSLESS as the rest of our government has become..... It frightens me to death!

Thank you for printing a story about illegal aliens who are not from south of the border. And for those of you who say they've done nothing illegal, overstaying a tourist visa is a common way illegal aliens of all persuasions enter the country.

Perhaps they should apply for asylum in Canada. Canada's asylum laws are much more liberal.

Note to Jerry S.:
What planet are you living on?
Your comment is so immature it defies understanding.
With what takes place in this country every day, there is no such thing as what you stated anymore..... That`s been gone forever! You didnt notice?

You talk about the difference of opinion if it were poor illegal latinos from the other side of the city?? If it were illegal latinos then they would get help from the politicians because they would be worried about a large voting block that could effect elections. If the van der Speks were illegally in the country for 10 years the could apply for immunity and be able to stay. Since they did not climb across the boarder and are here legally they do not qualify for that. It is not about race!!! It is about right and wrong.

This is one fantastic family! they are trying to keep their family together. They are doing everything the legal way. My son is engaged to one of the daughters and I have been so impresssed with their family and how they conduct themselves. Lets try to give them the help they need to fulfill their American Dream. We all were immigrants at some point in our families history.