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| West Palm Beach FL |  Review on September 3, 2021: |
martha783
Rating:  | Review Topic: Adjustment of Status
We had the strangest interview. We've been married 8 years, have 4 kids, and came on a B2 early-pandemic for an emergency and decided to stay and pursue AOS.
The agent greeted us, said "You've been married a long time. Why do you want to live here now?"
We explained we had left Peru pursuing medical care for our 3-week-old, gotten locked out of Peru for 7 months while the borders were closed, and in the process decided to stay. The agent became hostile and began raising his voice: "So what you're saying is your cowards and you just flee when things are hard? So if things get hard in the U.S. you're going to flee? I'm not in the business of giving green cards to cowards."
We sputtered a little and tried to explain that we had realized the importance for our family of living in the U.S. He retorted, "You should have realized that a long time ago. I'm asking YOU, the US Citizen, WHY did you leave? Why aren't you loyal to your country? Why should I let you and your coward husband back?"
I explained I had been involved in giving to Peru, in charitable work. That calmed him down some. But then my husband mentioned he wanted our kids to know and appreciate both their nationalities, and that set him off again, "We don't recognize dual citizenship in this country. You have to choose where your loyalties are! If the Taliban come and attack us, are you going to fight for the U.S.?"
My husband replied he would defend the U.S. and his family here (Again, this was NOT a citizenship interview so the loyalty line of questioning was surprising).
Then the agent continued, "What if Peru and the U.S. go to war? What would you do then? You can't get residency and get in line for citizenship if you aren't abandoning ALL loyalties to another country. This is the best country in the world. It's the only God-fearing country left. If you don't appreciate that, you don't deserve a green card."
There was a lot more but all along these lines. He ranted about Afghanistan and Biden too and the necessity of integration and not assimilation.
We listened, we tried to stay calm and answered where we could, but he was more lecturing than interrogating us at that point.
He signed the paperwork and told us we'd have the card in a couple weeks and politely said goodbye.
It. was. bizarre.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #30076