Sabrina
05-12-2009, 10:01 AM
NOTE: For those who don't know: Okili Nguebari, beloved friend of many communities for the past 27 ½ years, beloved husband of an American wife for 22 years, father of two American children ages 21 and 17, business owner, non profit founder of The United Africa Club, home owner, and tax payer, was picked up by the Dept. of Homeland Security, ICE unit on Monday April 20, 2009 in front of his home by six ICE officers traveling from SF in 3 unmarked cars (talk about waist of tax dollars). He was picked up for a 23 year old outstanding order of deportation from an over stay of Visa. For the past 21 years his American wife and he have been trying to make him legal. 3 weeks prior to his being picked up they had just met with an Immigration attorney and were set to start new appeals on his case, now that Obama is in office. They were saving money and waiting till June when they expected a family financial gift. That night of April 20, after being picked up, he was whisked away straight to the Eloy, AZ Detention Facility (south east of Tucson in the mid of hot dessert) where he has been being held with a final order of Deportation. It is imperative to "stay" this order, for if he is deported he would be barred from the country for 10 years before a waiver application can even be considered.
UPDATE FOR May 12, 2009
As of today I have VERY good NEWS and am so happy and relieved to say that my husband's Deportation has been stopped in it's tracks, thanks to the timely filing of papers by the lawyers we found, Richard La Paglia in Eloy, AZ. Richard and his lawyer wife Mary took on our case, fully researching the Class Action Law Suit I mentioned last time called: NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT, ET AL (PLAINTIFFS) VS. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, ET AL. (DEFENDANTS), including contacting the Attorney's in Seattle who authored it (web site www.ghp-law.net (https://www.ghp-law.net/)). Our current lawyer is now seeking the Bond Hearing which should happen as soon as this week. We don't know how much appealing it will take for my husband to get out on bail bond, but that is the next step in the appeal process so that we can bring him home to continue this "must win" battle from here in CA and not in that privately owned AZ detention facility.
The goal is to move the case back to SF where we will need to continue with another local attorney finally applying through our family and marriage (the I-130 application) and simultaneously wave his other immigration issues from 25 years ago prior to our marriage. We do not know how expensive the case can get, due to the unknown nature of appeals, etc. We've heard from friends of complicated cases getting as expensive as $30,000 and beyond, and we PRAY that this does not get to this point or anywhere close!
But once we have the case moved back here we will urgently need tons of help to attract Congressional or other services so that if we work with a lawyer some of the cost could be off set by this. We of course have already started this attraction in motion through all of the publicity we are displaying, including all of the letters being written by many of you to Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Lynn Woolsey, and the Letter to the Editor. And, we have been told by several reputable attorneys that we now have much stronger merits in our favor having 3 American Citizens (myself and two kids together over 20 years) to fight for our husband /father person and that his immigration complications of his past should be waved much more easily now.
Imagine, not only will my husband be free to leave this country to visit his family abroad without the fear of not being able to return, but my kids and I will also be free to visit, travel, and live anywhere we want with my husband /their father freely.
PUBLICITY
Thankfully I have already interviewed w/ Mary Moore on KBBF in the northbay, and w/ Emmanuel Nado on KKUP in the southbay, and am about to do an interview on Ch. 30 local Media Center w/ Ida Johnson to be aired next Monday. I have also been speaking with Bleys Rose about an article he intends to do in the Press Democrat shortly, and have just been contacted by Lindsay Pyle of the North Bay Bohemian to do a story as well. A banner will be posted on WaccoBB.net as well. I am open to other interviews, etc. I have to say thank you, thank you, thank you for everyone staying in touch with one another and taking our family's situation seriously. We are not done yet. And still have quite a battle (but winning now) ahead of us.
Now is the time to ask me for original flyer documents to forward to you about the FREE OKILI event so that you can print them up to post in your neighborhood, town, business, etc. And finally, we do have a "final" flyer done; sorry for all the "starts", but these kinds of family emergencies' are never planned like other events with plenty of notice and time to organize.
FREE OKILI Fundraiser - Friday, MAY 22, 2009 - 7P PM
We have secured the Sebastopol Community Center, located at 390 Morris St. in Sebastopol, CA for the FREE OKILI fundraiser. We have a full evening of entertainment planned which includes a large list of musician volunteers / friends and family of my husband, etc. who have stepped forward to perform at this event, provide sound, staging, etc. Many are on the flyer, and include African, Caribbean, soulful, inspirational, and original live music. Others still may not be turned away who want to sing or play a song. Also there will be dinner foods, desserts, non alcoholic beverages + beer and wine; there will be a silent auction and Massage stations. Suggested donation is $20 w/ no donation turned away. Flyers are currently circulating. Please respond to me if you need a flyer forwarded to you.
HELP STILL NEEDED
For the FREE OKILI event we still need some help.
FOOD HELP: We need some help with figuring the food situation. We have a couple of people volunteering to get donations for free food, and I've not been able to get them a donation request letter yet. If anyone can jump in here, email Taylor Webb at [email protected].
One idea: We were looking into having the help of an actual Caterer who would be interested in working with us to partially make some money themselves, and donate some money made to us. We will be able to provide a lot of man power (folks w/ food experience), and probably some of the donated food to help cut costs.
Another idea: We also could try to get lots of people to donated pre cooked food. We thought, if we plan to have chicken, salad, beans, and rice or other starch, we could just have individuals volunteer to cook one of those items for say 15 - 20 people, then with all the pot luck items it would be a dinner by donation thing.
Any quick life saving action takers out there about our food situation? You could contact me, [email protected], or [email protected] w/ those awesome solutions.
SILENT AUCTION: Still need items donated. If you were intending to but have not contacted any one about it yet, please do now, so we can make up the paperwork for your auction item. For your auction donations, please email it to Ruth Richards at [email protected]. Include the suggested retail price of the item and any info about it. NOTE: Any wine donations must graciously be accepted by our Beer and Wine License holder, non profit org., The United Africa Club, to use as "pouring wine" we can sell - due to the type of ABC license we'll have. All proceeds for Alcohol will be donated to this event less 10% that goes back to the non profit.
Raising money through renting our back house / covers part of the mortgage while hubby gone
Renting the backhouse will about cut the current mortgage in half; my wine sales income has been really squelched by this outcry I've needed to make to secure my family's unity. We have a back granny unit /studio that has a person agreeing to rent it at the beginning of June.
The place has not been rented in a few years because it needs a little work. Most of the hard stuff is done, ( thankfully, some major plumbing, hole covering, and deep cleaning was already done by our caring and helpful friend Paul Lavender). But we still need a little help fixing some kitchen drawers/ cabinets, and securing some issues w/ the hot water back there (it has a water heater that needs proper venting / ventilation to work properly. Also the place needs a new / used but working refrigerator, and the gas stove vented. We also need a dump run or two, and eventual help painting the exterior (interior done).
Anyone able to help on this? if you were wanting to help us and have some skills in these areas, it would be, "oh, so highly and graciously appreciated!" .
FUTURE EVENTS
We hope and pray for a very successful event on May 22, but we really have NO IDEA what legal funds we will end up needing to pay down the road. We may need to call on other folks for a different type of fund raiser in the future. Some people have offered to help as entertainers, yard sale holders, or with other types of fundraising events that have not been able to manifest yet. If you are unable to help now or on May 22, please keep it in your hearts, what ever you intend to share with us in the ways of fundraising, because we may still really need your help in the future.
MONEY<o:p></o:p>
You can deposit into almost any Credit Union with a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Service</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (i.e. bank w/ tellers, etc), does not matter which Company. Here is a link that you can see exactly where a Credit Union is in your neighborhood or town (Does not matter the Company). When you get to the main page just enter city state or Zip code on the left hand side, and directly below that select CU Service Centers Only. Here's the web: <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
https://www.cuswirl.com/locations/index.htm (https://www.cuswirl.com/locations/index.htm). <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Make any check Payable to either Sabrina Krauss or Henri Nguebari (Okili's official name)<o:p></o:p>
Deposit to Account # #448076<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Please DO NOT make check out to "Okili Legal Fund". I thought I could set this up but it required a fictitious business name filing, etc. I got a couple of these and they are kind of hard to cash. I end up having to write his name in and crossing off legal fund and initialing for you (not really kosher).<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
If someone prefers to actually send a check via snail mail, I decided not to put my home address out here because I don’t want it to get way out on the web. We do expect to go as public as possible with this. So please mail it with a note listing Account # 448076 and one of our names above to:<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
REDWOOD CREDIT UNION<o:p></o:p>
P.O. Box <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">P.O. Box 6104</st1:street>
<st1:city w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">95406</st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on">PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANYTHING IF YOU THINK IT MAY BOUNCE. THIS HAS ALREADY UNFORTUNATELY HAPPENED!</st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on">PAYPAL ACCOUNT: I set one up, but have not had time to really read it to see how it actually works to get money. I don't get it right off the bat, and will ad it when I figure it out. </st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<o:p></o:p>
Writing to DIANNE FEINSTEIN<o:p></o:p>
Also, just to continue to urge people to write a letter to Diane Feinstein and Fax or mail it to her. <o:p></o:p>
HERE ARE SOME TALKING POINTS:<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Tell her Henri Roger Nguebari arrived here in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> 27 ½ years ago on an F1 Student Visa. Today he has not left the country accept for once when his mother died and he was paroled to leave legally under the pending Amnesty Application. Tell her it is wrong that Henri Roger Nguebari is being separated from his American Wife of 22 years, and two American born children ages 17 and 21. The family built a life here; he was the protector and provider, they owned a home together, he founded an African cultural non profit Org. here (The United Africa Club), he started a business here with his wife, and filed his income taxes for every year of his 27 ½ years residing here and making a living. Tell her he is being held in Eloy <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arizona</st1:place></st1:state> detention facility, A# 26370867, and is being unfairly set for deportation after being stone walled to become legal for 22 years, including the 15 year pending Amnesty application. We want a humanitarian bill to unify this family legally, as it is wrong to punish this whole family for his denial of amnesty or for his overstay of a student F1 Visa over 25 years ago. You can also note that you understand he is a member of the recent class action law suit entitled: NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT, ET AL (PLAINTIFFS) VS. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, ET AL. (DEFENDANTS) case No 88-379R , Sign it with your full name and address.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Mail:<o:p></o:p>
Senator Dianne Feinstein<o:p></o:p>
<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">One Post Street, Ste. 2450</st1:address></st1:street><o:p></o:p>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">94104</st1:postalcode></st1:place><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Or <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Fax:<o:p></o:p>
(415) 393-0710<o:p></o:p>
Thank you -
My family and I continue to thank everyone so much for their help. Last update I tried to list some people who came to mind, and still have not gotten the chance to properly list them all. Again, please forgive me if I've not mentioned your name. This is a task I do intend to publically undertake at some point, and the only names I won't have are those who may have donated money automatically into my account with no name attached, or those of who's full name I don't know (I've always been bad w/ last names).
UPDATE FOR May 12, 2009
As of today I have VERY good NEWS and am so happy and relieved to say that my husband's Deportation has been stopped in it's tracks, thanks to the timely filing of papers by the lawyers we found, Richard La Paglia in Eloy, AZ. Richard and his lawyer wife Mary took on our case, fully researching the Class Action Law Suit I mentioned last time called: NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT, ET AL (PLAINTIFFS) VS. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, ET AL. (DEFENDANTS), including contacting the Attorney's in Seattle who authored it (web site www.ghp-law.net (https://www.ghp-law.net/)). Our current lawyer is now seeking the Bond Hearing which should happen as soon as this week. We don't know how much appealing it will take for my husband to get out on bail bond, but that is the next step in the appeal process so that we can bring him home to continue this "must win" battle from here in CA and not in that privately owned AZ detention facility.
The goal is to move the case back to SF where we will need to continue with another local attorney finally applying through our family and marriage (the I-130 application) and simultaneously wave his other immigration issues from 25 years ago prior to our marriage. We do not know how expensive the case can get, due to the unknown nature of appeals, etc. We've heard from friends of complicated cases getting as expensive as $30,000 and beyond, and we PRAY that this does not get to this point or anywhere close!
But once we have the case moved back here we will urgently need tons of help to attract Congressional or other services so that if we work with a lawyer some of the cost could be off set by this. We of course have already started this attraction in motion through all of the publicity we are displaying, including all of the letters being written by many of you to Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Lynn Woolsey, and the Letter to the Editor. And, we have been told by several reputable attorneys that we now have much stronger merits in our favor having 3 American Citizens (myself and two kids together over 20 years) to fight for our husband /father person and that his immigration complications of his past should be waved much more easily now.
Imagine, not only will my husband be free to leave this country to visit his family abroad without the fear of not being able to return, but my kids and I will also be free to visit, travel, and live anywhere we want with my husband /their father freely.
PUBLICITY
Thankfully I have already interviewed w/ Mary Moore on KBBF in the northbay, and w/ Emmanuel Nado on KKUP in the southbay, and am about to do an interview on Ch. 30 local Media Center w/ Ida Johnson to be aired next Monday. I have also been speaking with Bleys Rose about an article he intends to do in the Press Democrat shortly, and have just been contacted by Lindsay Pyle of the North Bay Bohemian to do a story as well. A banner will be posted on WaccoBB.net as well. I am open to other interviews, etc. I have to say thank you, thank you, thank you for everyone staying in touch with one another and taking our family's situation seriously. We are not done yet. And still have quite a battle (but winning now) ahead of us.
Now is the time to ask me for original flyer documents to forward to you about the FREE OKILI event so that you can print them up to post in your neighborhood, town, business, etc. And finally, we do have a "final" flyer done; sorry for all the "starts", but these kinds of family emergencies' are never planned like other events with plenty of notice and time to organize.
FREE OKILI Fundraiser - Friday, MAY 22, 2009 - 7P PM
We have secured the Sebastopol Community Center, located at 390 Morris St. in Sebastopol, CA for the FREE OKILI fundraiser. We have a full evening of entertainment planned which includes a large list of musician volunteers / friends and family of my husband, etc. who have stepped forward to perform at this event, provide sound, staging, etc. Many are on the flyer, and include African, Caribbean, soulful, inspirational, and original live music. Others still may not be turned away who want to sing or play a song. Also there will be dinner foods, desserts, non alcoholic beverages + beer and wine; there will be a silent auction and Massage stations. Suggested donation is $20 w/ no donation turned away. Flyers are currently circulating. Please respond to me if you need a flyer forwarded to you.
HELP STILL NEEDED
For the FREE OKILI event we still need some help.
FOOD HELP: We need some help with figuring the food situation. We have a couple of people volunteering to get donations for free food, and I've not been able to get them a donation request letter yet. If anyone can jump in here, email Taylor Webb at [email protected].
One idea: We were looking into having the help of an actual Caterer who would be interested in working with us to partially make some money themselves, and donate some money made to us. We will be able to provide a lot of man power (folks w/ food experience), and probably some of the donated food to help cut costs.
Another idea: We also could try to get lots of people to donated pre cooked food. We thought, if we plan to have chicken, salad, beans, and rice or other starch, we could just have individuals volunteer to cook one of those items for say 15 - 20 people, then with all the pot luck items it would be a dinner by donation thing.
Any quick life saving action takers out there about our food situation? You could contact me, [email protected], or [email protected] w/ those awesome solutions.
SILENT AUCTION: Still need items donated. If you were intending to but have not contacted any one about it yet, please do now, so we can make up the paperwork for your auction item. For your auction donations, please email it to Ruth Richards at [email protected]. Include the suggested retail price of the item and any info about it. NOTE: Any wine donations must graciously be accepted by our Beer and Wine License holder, non profit org., The United Africa Club, to use as "pouring wine" we can sell - due to the type of ABC license we'll have. All proceeds for Alcohol will be donated to this event less 10% that goes back to the non profit.
Raising money through renting our back house / covers part of the mortgage while hubby gone
Renting the backhouse will about cut the current mortgage in half; my wine sales income has been really squelched by this outcry I've needed to make to secure my family's unity. We have a back granny unit /studio that has a person agreeing to rent it at the beginning of June.
The place has not been rented in a few years because it needs a little work. Most of the hard stuff is done, ( thankfully, some major plumbing, hole covering, and deep cleaning was already done by our caring and helpful friend Paul Lavender). But we still need a little help fixing some kitchen drawers/ cabinets, and securing some issues w/ the hot water back there (it has a water heater that needs proper venting / ventilation to work properly. Also the place needs a new / used but working refrigerator, and the gas stove vented. We also need a dump run or two, and eventual help painting the exterior (interior done).
Anyone able to help on this? if you were wanting to help us and have some skills in these areas, it would be, "oh, so highly and graciously appreciated!" .
FUTURE EVENTS
We hope and pray for a very successful event on May 22, but we really have NO IDEA what legal funds we will end up needing to pay down the road. We may need to call on other folks for a different type of fund raiser in the future. Some people have offered to help as entertainers, yard sale holders, or with other types of fundraising events that have not been able to manifest yet. If you are unable to help now or on May 22, please keep it in your hearts, what ever you intend to share with us in the ways of fundraising, because we may still really need your help in the future.
MONEY<o:p></o:p>
You can deposit into almost any Credit Union with a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Service</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> (i.e. bank w/ tellers, etc), does not matter which Company. Here is a link that you can see exactly where a Credit Union is in your neighborhood or town (Does not matter the Company). When you get to the main page just enter city state or Zip code on the left hand side, and directly below that select CU Service Centers Only. Here's the web: <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
https://www.cuswirl.com/locations/index.htm (https://www.cuswirl.com/locations/index.htm). <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Make any check Payable to either Sabrina Krauss or Henri Nguebari (Okili's official name)<o:p></o:p>
Deposit to Account # #448076<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Please DO NOT make check out to "Okili Legal Fund". I thought I could set this up but it required a fictitious business name filing, etc. I got a couple of these and they are kind of hard to cash. I end up having to write his name in and crossing off legal fund and initialing for you (not really kosher).<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
If someone prefers to actually send a check via snail mail, I decided not to put my home address out here because I don’t want it to get way out on the web. We do expect to go as public as possible with this. So please mail it with a note listing Account # 448076 and one of our names above to:<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
REDWOOD CREDIT UNION<o:p></o:p>
P.O. Box <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">P.O. Box 6104</st1:street>
<st1:city w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">95406</st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on">PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANYTHING IF YOU THINK IT MAY BOUNCE. THIS HAS ALREADY UNFORTUNATELY HAPPENED!</st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:postalcode w:st="on">PAYPAL ACCOUNT: I set one up, but have not had time to really read it to see how it actually works to get money. I don't get it right off the bat, and will ad it when I figure it out. </st1:postalcode></st1:address>
<o:p></o:p>
Writing to DIANNE FEINSTEIN<o:p></o:p>
Also, just to continue to urge people to write a letter to Diane Feinstein and Fax or mail it to her. <o:p></o:p>
HERE ARE SOME TALKING POINTS:<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Tell her Henri Roger Nguebari arrived here in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> 27 ½ years ago on an F1 Student Visa. Today he has not left the country accept for once when his mother died and he was paroled to leave legally under the pending Amnesty Application. Tell her it is wrong that Henri Roger Nguebari is being separated from his American Wife of 22 years, and two American born children ages 17 and 21. The family built a life here; he was the protector and provider, they owned a home together, he founded an African cultural non profit Org. here (The United Africa Club), he started a business here with his wife, and filed his income taxes for every year of his 27 ½ years residing here and making a living. Tell her he is being held in Eloy <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arizona</st1:place></st1:state> detention facility, A# 26370867, and is being unfairly set for deportation after being stone walled to become legal for 22 years, including the 15 year pending Amnesty application. We want a humanitarian bill to unify this family legally, as it is wrong to punish this whole family for his denial of amnesty or for his overstay of a student F1 Visa over 25 years ago. You can also note that you understand he is a member of the recent class action law suit entitled: NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT, ET AL (PLAINTIFFS) VS. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, ET AL. (DEFENDANTS) case No 88-379R , Sign it with your full name and address.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Mail:<o:p></o:p>
Senator Dianne Feinstein<o:p></o:p>
<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">One Post Street, Ste. 2450</st1:address></st1:street><o:p></o:p>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">94104</st1:postalcode></st1:place><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Or <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Fax:<o:p></o:p>
(415) 393-0710<o:p></o:p>
Thank you -
My family and I continue to thank everyone so much for their help. Last update I tried to list some people who came to mind, and still have not gotten the chance to properly list them all. Again, please forgive me if I've not mentioned your name. This is a task I do intend to publically undertake at some point, and the only names I won't have are those who may have donated money automatically into my account with no name attached, or those of who's full name I don't know (I've always been bad w/ last names).