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Friday February 27, 2004

The clock is ticking for Russian emigre who faces deportation

by alexandra j. wall
staff writer

First the good news: Yana Slobodova was not on a plane to Russia on Monday, Feb. 23, as she was initially scheduled.

But the good news ends there. While the Russian emigre was granted a temporary stay to allow immigration officials to re-examine her case, she is now scheduled to depart this coming Monday, March 1.

Slobodova is the 30-year-old piano teacher who faces deportation for having entered the United States with false papers eight years ago. Last month, she was jailed for three weeks, after what was supposed to be a routine hearing to change her immigration status.

On Friday, Feb. 20, her lawyer Marc Van Der Hout, of Van Der Hout, Brigagliano & Nightingale, requested a meeting with David Still, district director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Nancy Alcantar, assistant district director for detention and deportation of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was denied access to both officials.

Several people gathered outside of the BCIS on Sansome Street in downtown San Francisco last Friday, Feb. 20, to show their support for Slobodova, and the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal had organized a larger rally there for Thursday, Feb. 26. They hoped for a large turn-out from the emigre community.

Meanwhile, Slobodova and Alexander Makarchuk, her husband, and their son, Nikita, have vacated their San Francisco apartment to move in with her parents in San Mateo. The stress level is extremely high. They have sold most of their belongings.

Slobodova described her mood as “horrible,” and said that with each meeting, she gets her hopes up, only to have them dashed again. She cries all the time, she said, and is so exhausted by the end of the day that she sleeps easily. Her parents do not, though, and she is most worried about her husband.

“Most of the time, he’s the one running around, talking to the lawyers and everyone, and he does not want to give up. He keeps saying ‘Everything’s going to be OK,’ but I’m afraid he’s going to burst,” she said.

Van Der Hout believes that if BCIS officials would only meet with Slobodova in person, they would reconsider.

“This is especially troubling because the BCIS never brought Yana in for questioning, despite our repeated efforts and offers,” said Van Der Hout. “We believe it is in the interest of justice that she be interviewed.”

Meanwhile, staffers at the BACJRR have been working around the clock on the case.

On Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, Van Der Hout heard that Still had sent the case on to the Administrative Appeals Unit in Washington, D.C., where it could take up to two years to reach a judgment. During this time Slobodova would not be allowed into the United States. And if the ruling does not come back in her favor, she could be prevented from ever entering the country again.

Apparently, though, Alcantar still has the power to grant another stay, which would allow Slobodova to remain here while her appeal is considered. The BACJRR is requesting that people call (415) 844-5512 today, Friday, Feb. 27, to request that Slobodova not be deported.

BCIS officials do not comment on such cases.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) was calling senior officials at the BCIS in Washington to try and grant Slobodova another stay, but he had not successfully reached anyone by press time.

Lantos has already written several letters to the BCIS asking them to reconsider.

But despite everyone’s efforts, time is winding down for Slobodova.

“To rip a family like this apart, to leave a 2-year-old child motherless because of one youthful mistake eight years ago is entirely misguided,” Van Der Hout concluded. “This is an outrageous, insensitive, inhumane decision for an administration that is supposedly promoting the sanctity of the family unit.”

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