Olympic Athlete, Family Face Deportation

[The Straight Story]

Olympic Athlete, Family Face Deportation

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A decade after entering the U.S., a gymnastics coach on Wednesday was fighting to stay in the country she calls home.

Natalia Laschenova is a gold-medal wining Olympian who has been coaching local gymnasts, but now the Latvian-born immigrant is fighting to stay in America, 10TV's Jeff Hogan reported.

Laschenova's second attempt at U.S. citizenship was denied. This week, Laschenova learned she had fallen out of status, meaning she has become an illegal alien.

Laschenova and her family could be deported at any time, Hogan reported.

"I pay all my taxes, I pay all the things American people pay," Laschenova said. "Why I'm not good enough for that, I just don't understand."

Once a world-class athlete, Laschenova is now a coach and is trying to qualify for citizenship under rules that mandate she be at the top of that field as well.

The government has strict standards when filing for work as an alien of extraordinary ability, Hogan reported.

For example, winning the Nobel Prize would qualify for automatic exempt status.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/03/03/story-columbus-olympic-medalist-deportation.html?sid=102

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[depakid]

2. You forgot the sarcasm tag...

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[depakid]

4. Well, if that's you're attitude re: the OP-

it will be one of those instances where I take some solace in watching America's inevitable decline into 3td world status.

There are those- and quite a lot of them, who richly deserve what's coming.