The Daily Times

Signed, sealed and delivered just in time for Christmas.

President Obama put his signature on a bill Wednesday evening that will allow the widow of Marine Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. to become a permanent resident of the United States.

The new law permits Hotaru “Hota” Ferschke the opportunity to raise their son, “Mikey,” in Maryville, where his grandparents live and where his Marine sergeant father attended high school.

“I know my son’s happy. I know he’s following this. It’s his wish,” Robin Ferschke said Thursday as Mikey, who will turn 2 on Jan. 7, played with cousins and friends.

Mikey’s dad was killed in action Aug. 10, 2008, while serving in Iraq. Because of an immigration law passed during the 1950s, Hota was granted only a temporary visa to visit the U.S.

Michael and Hota were married, after they learned she was pregnant, in a ceremony conducted over the phone while he was in Iraq and she was at his home base in Okinawa, Japan. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Hota was not eligible for permanent U.S. residency because the marriage was not consummated after the ceremony.

“It’s exciting,” said Michael “Mike” Ferschke Sr., as he watched his grandson play the yard of the family’s home. He listened as laughing children and barking dogs ran in circles around a sandbox.

In a corner of the yard stands a memorial plaque honoring Sgt. Ferschke and decorated for Christmas. Hota was out doing Christmas shopping while the grandparents took care of Mikey.

Robin Ferschke said the process of getting the bill passed was hard. There were political roadblocks along the way. Attempts to get the White House involved before the bill was passed by Congress were unsuccessful.

“I didn’t just send letters. I sent faxes, I sent e-mails and packets. I did get kind of a letter saying there was nothing they could do.”

But there was plenty Congress could do. She credits Tennessee Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker for helping to move the bill through the Senate. She is especially thankful for the efforts of Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, and Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.

“Duncan didn’t give up. And Senator Webb �" I’ll tell you, nobody gives him any credit. That man, from the beginning, called me. I never called them. They heard my story, and he called me personally the day they introduced the bill and said that he would never give up.”

Not everyone was so supportive.

“Some senator’s staffs �" they thought, well, it’s not quite time.”

At one point, the act was held up by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., because of concerns he had about the language of the bill. Ferschke decided to meet Sessions on his home turf in Mobile, Ala., to try personal persuasion. The senator had not been interested in talking with Robin in Washington. Back home in Alabama, that changed after local media were onto the story.

“Then, all of a sudden, he had to know everything,” Ferschke said.

“It was scary meeting him. But I said, I gotta do it. It’s scary meeting all of them. Plus, you have to say everything over and over. It’s so hard.

“I told Sessions �" I looked right at him �" I said, ‘No disrespect, but I wish I had never met any of you.’ And that’s the truth. I have no reason to meet them. They can go on with their lives. But I had to.”

Sessions committed to making something happen with the bill.

“And he says, ‘I will. I’ll make something happen by December.’ I looked him right in the eye and I says, ‘If you don’t, I’ll be back.” And he goes, ‘I’m sure you will.’

Another hurdle

When the revised bill made it back to the House, it met another roadblock. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., had “procedural” reasons for blocking the vote.

Did Sensenbrenner call Ferschke to explain why �" or why he changed his mind and dropped his objection?

“No. The only thing I heard was that he didn’t like the negative attention. The next thing I know, the bill passed,” Ferschke said.

According to what Robin Ferschke was told, some friendly persuading by colleagues got the attention of congressmen not too keen on supporting the bill.

“They had some sort of conference call, and I guess Session’s staff was in there, and they mentioned that some of them weren’t sure if (their senator or representative) was going to say yes or not. And Session’s staff member said, ‘I’m going to tell you now that if you say no, you’ll have an angry Marine’s mom on your doorstep.’ The next thing I know, they didn’t say no.”

Still in the game

With this victory under her belt, Ferschke plans to put her newfound political experience to use. She wants passage of a bill that affects more than just her daughter-in-law.

“I’m not done. I’m going to keep on. There’s been a lot of families to go through this.”

But first, there’s her own family’s future to consider.

“We have to do paperwork �" just a lot of things. But before, with Hota, we couldn’t talk about this. It hurt too much, because we had to keep saying, if, if, if. We just stopped talking about it,” Robin Ferschke said.

“So, now we can at least talk.”

And set about fulfilling Sgt. Michael Ferschke Jr.’s wish.

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