AFTER 51 YEARS, NATURALIZED CITIZEN
SUDDENLY BECOMES ILLEGAL ALIEN.
2008 December 2

Dear Mr Griffin,
I have enjoyed your help in learning and understanding how things have evolved in this country and around the world. You have my respect and admiration. That said, let me explain why I am writing you.

I signed on for a travel assignment (nursing) with an agency in Nebraska. I was to start this assignment in January. All the forms have been signed and I thought it was a done deal. Suddenly on November 26 I was told that they use a pilot program called E-Verify to ensure that all hirees are authorized to work in the U.S. - well I was informed that I was non-confirmed. Which means that I am not authorized to work in the U.S. according to Homeland Security. I called the social security administration and talked to a Mr Mannis who assured me that he could see no reason why I would have been flagge. I felt encouraged and related this to my employer. They sent me a form that I had to sign - which said that I either chose to contest the Homeland Security designation or not to contest it. If I chose not to contest it, they would put me in a category called final nonconfirmation which would immediately take away my right to work. Of course I signed that I contested the designation and immediately sent it back to the employer.

Now a little background, I was born in Toronto, Canada in 1954. I was brought to the U.S. in 1956 when my mother married an American citizen. She went thru the immigration process and I went thru the naturalization process and became a naturalized citizen in 1966 (if my memory serves me on the date) anyway I was adopted by my father in 1958 as well. I never really thought about it much since then. I applied and received a social security card, received it without any questions, and essentially have gone thru life til now, thinking all was well. I thought I was an American, patriotic and supportive of this country, it is all that I have ever known.

I have worked in this country and paid taxes for almost 40 years to be suddenly told that I can no longer work and support myself! I am told that if Homeland Security doesn't authorize me to work, I will not be able to find employment and any place that DOES hire me will be in violation of the law. I was given 8 federal working days to prove that I have been naturalized.

I do not have a copy of my naturalization papers or my birth certificate at this time. My parents died two years ago so I don't know how to figure out which court we went thru for the adoption or the naturalization. I remember viewing these documents as both a child and as an adult. They were somewhat of a conversation piece, since most people didn't have those kinds of papers. I don't know if my mother gave them to me and I have misplaced them (since I have never been asked for them in ALL of my adult life) or if they were lost after their death and many papers they had kept were thrown out.

Oh I have done the research, I have called every agency I can think of and there is apparently no record to be found of my naturalization or my mother's immigration. I have ordered a copy of my birth certificate - if that can be actually found. At this point I have no way of knowing. I doubt that I can meet the 8 day deadline, in any case.

I have an appointment with an immigration officer on Friday, December 5, 2008. I will travel to Detroit to discuss the situation with him, although I have a sinking feeling that he will not be able to find any documentation either. I went to the Social Security office today to get authorization and was told that my designation there was "alien - authourized to work".  I was told that I should bring back my birth certificate and/ or adoption decree and they would change my designation. I left sick to my stomach.

My question to you is this.... how many other people who think they are citizens will have to go thru this kind of life altering / demeaning process? Here we are in the middle of granting amnesty to 20 million illegal immigrants, while I - one who has lived here for 52 years, gone thru the process of naturalization, worked and paid taxes, am at risk of being designated an alien unauthorized to work in this country.

I cannot believe that I am alone in this program of Homeland Security's to discredit and challenge (if not remove) many citizens, especially those who have been known to challenge the status quo. I am sure they are following the things that I read, the petitions I have signed, the groups that I have aligned myself with, including freedom force international.

I will continue to fight, to find a way to survive this situation. I will not give up that easily, but perhaps your readers should be aware. Perhaps there is a way to join forces, if we know about each other, to show there is something strange and nasty afoot in our government.  Why would we suddenly be challenged at this time in the course of history? 

Please feel free to contact me, if you are so inclined. I don't know if I have covered all the potential questions you might have. I just want to alert others to a potential situation and tell them that they are not alone. I am sure one of us will be able to find ways to circumvent this whole thing and together we may have a stronger voice.

Sncerely,
Alberta Phillips RN, surebert@chartermi.net