Family facing deportation breakup wins reprieve

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Source: Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle

(03-03) 18:05 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco bus driver's wife and two stepsons, who faced deportation to Australia this week after a schoolyard fight and a city crackdown thwarted their attempt to win legal status, won a reprieve from federal authorities Wednesday.

Immigration officials had ordered Tracey Washington and her sons, ages 13 and 5, to leave the United States by Friday because they remained here after their visa waivers expired in May. The family and their lawyer brought the case to public attention in a news conference this week.

On Wednesday, officials said they would give the Washingtons at least 60 days to resolve their situation.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/03/BAIO1CAD3J.DTL

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I posted about this family yesterday. The 13-year-old son was arrested on felony robbery charges, and under a revised immigration policy by the City of SF, the boy was reported to feds. (It has since been revised to apply only to felonies).