A Polish woman who lived and raised a family in the United States for over 20 years has been deported from the country, despite a desperate plea from her heartbroken relatives.
Irina Sobierajska was forced to return to Poland last Friday after authorities gave her 48 hours to leave the country she had called home since 2004, Detroit news outlet Local 4 reported.
She had lived in the U.S. twice as long as she ever lived in Poland, and leaves her husband and two children behind in Macomb County near Detroit.
Before leaving, the 62-year-old told Local 4 that she does not know anyone in Poland. “How can you go back to a country [where] you have literally nothing?” she said.
The deportation order came despite Sobierajska’s stay of removal request to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The Polish national’s family say they had exhausted other avenues to keep her from being removed, including speaking to a lawyer and reaching out to state senators.
‘Terror, shock and panic’
Patrycja Sobierajska, the deportee’s daughter, said the days leading up to her mother’s deportation were full of “terror, shock and panic.”
“Her and my dad came to the [U.S.] to help build a better life and start a strong foundation for my brother and myself. They worked hard… We have this home, we’ve worked for everything ourselves, we never asked for anything,” she said.
“I feel like people could find it in their hearts to not separate a family who is trying to just live a life like anybody else.”
Despite being an unlawful resident in the U.S., Irina Sobierajska was allowed to legally work in the country, Local 4 reported. The outlet added that Sobierajska was a caretaker for her husband, with their family now fearing that his health will worsen without Irina by his side.
‘It’s just all unfair’
Sobierajska’s daughter added that she “can’t stand the idea of being separated” from her mother.
“Yes, I am 26 years old and I am an adult, but at the end of the day everybody needs their mom. My mom is my best friend. The fact that I won’t be able to hold her or hug her or anything breaks my heart,” she said.
In a statement to Local 4, ICE said Sobierajska had been “afforded due process” after an immigration judge first ordered her removal in 2014 for overstaying a visa – a ruling the family tried unsuccessfully to appeal.
Irina Sobierajska’s son, Bernard, said: “They look at her as a criminal and that’s just the heartbreaking part… She’s never done anything, and she’s just the nicest person in the world. I don’t get it… It’s just all unfair.”
Undocumented Poles at risk in the U.S.
Donald Trump, who in January was sworn into office for his second term as U.S. president, has made it a priority of his administration to crack down on illegal immigration.
Polish officials earlier this year estimated that up to 30,000 Poles could be at risk of deportation from the U.S.
The day after Trump’s inauguration, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced he had directed Polish consular officials in the U.S. to prepare to facilitate the return of any Poles affected by the White House’s deportation plans.
Tusk said “a lot has changed” in Poland in recent years, adding: “Every Pole will be warmly welcomed back home. Everyone will find a place in their homeland. Here, they will find their own America.”
So what? She made her choice 20 years ago and now face consequences, she was supposed to be deported already in 2014. No idea why the surprise here.
I mean I’m all for burning the current US administration to the ground, but she overstayed the Visa and was invited to leave 11 years ago.
I don’t see the same outrage for Mexican people in that condition
I have a family friend and his daughter is overstaying her visa for decades. And she is a big trump supporter and hates illegal immigrants. She still does not connect the dots that she is also an illegal immigrant and oblivious to the fact that she can face deportation anytime.
And I am just waiting for Leopards eat my face moment.
When you illegally enter and live in a country, are told to leave and don’t, and never bother trying to legalize your stay, then yes – you should be deported. Living in a foreign country is not a right.
Her daughter can sponsor her and have her back in the US within a year … if not for the 10 year ban she triggered by overstaying for more than a year. A future secretary of state might give her a waiver so she can return without having to wait a decade.
She overstayed visa for mant years. You wanna have state of law or not? I’m sorry for this woman but I’m surprised it happened only now.
ICE raids in Jackowo when
[deleted]
She had pretty good run imo.
Why is she called “mother”? It’s a ridiculous habit from anglophone media. Can we just Say “woman’?
I’m not trying to sound harsh, but isn’t overstaying a visa already a violation of immigration law?
I get that deportation can feel unfair on a human level, but legally speaking, isn’t this similar to not paying taxes for years and then facing the consequences once it’s discovered?
Or is there some loophole where “we didn’t catch you so it wasn’t illegal”? Trying to understand the difference between “human sympathy” and the legal side here.
Poland is way better. She will be very happy. She should bring her family too.
You had 20 years to get your paperwork in order… This just plain stupid
I have a family that lives there for 40 years, does not speak English and hides from “immigration”. Also they still think that in Poland people rode horses on streets
The potentially ironic conclusion is that when her daughter and their family visit babcia in Poland, they realize that life is better in Europe and the rest of the family moves too.
100% can put all my money on her supporting Trump tho
As a legal immigrant, I don’t get US citizens that support illegal immigration.
Imagine being there illegally for 20 years and do nothing about that. Is she stupid?
Had plenty of time to get a green card
“Despite being an unlawful resident in the U.S., Irina Sobierajska was allowed to legally work in the country […]” So she was in the USA illegally, I don’t understand what’s going on, all she had to do was get a residence card and there would be no problem 🤷♂️
If her husband is us citizen – isn’t she allowed to get green card?
So I took a minute to read an article and:
She is deported but not her husband, which means that guy is there legally. Why she didn’t get papers from him!? That means one thing- she came to the us using false documents(not that uncommon) or she crossed the border on foot. I personally knew one person who crossed the border and the other who came on false papers. Both women came around the same time she did. They are still living in the US illegally. They could go back to Poland to try to fix this- but NOOOOO both of those women refused again and again to do anything about it. Both talked to their lawyers and the one who came using someone else papers was told to go back to Poland and apply for her green card there- whole process would take max 2years. Done deal! Her guy said he is fine with it- she refused. Second genius got married and has two daughters. Because she got married in us, she is already in the system so even is she came back to Poland she quite possibly will have problems with getting her papers but their lawyer said it’s possible. Her husband agreed as well and I hear him saying that he has no problem going back for a while. NOPE!…. It’s their own fault- they all waited for amnesty.
I spent 4 years in the US between the ages 5-9 in the 80s and thought I’m American. I didn’t speak or think any Polish. Then we went back to Poland in 88 and boy did that have an impact.
“Sobierajska’s father was Russian, her mother was Ukrainian, and they were members of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
She’s not Polish. Just another Russian thief who believes she’s smarter than everyone else and trying to exploit the system.
Why didn’t she legalise her stay?
Very good! She will arrive in a better country!
I do not want illegal immigrants in Poland and even if I am leftist I do understand Trump’s action.
Obey the law or GTFO.
Hold on, she stayed illegally, oh daughter needs her mommy, you should had make sure she receives a visa to stay?
I bet she was a Trumporter.
That’s very unfortunate for her and her family. However she is not Polish. The statement that she doesn’t know anyone in Poland rings the truth. There are many families in the US that have similar situation. Many people used Poland as a stepping stone to get out with the final destination to be the US. In order to apply for legal papers based on marriage to US citizen she will need to go back to the country where she is a legal citizen and apply from there. Having young kids prevented her from doing that. Plus she might be confused about which country she needs to go back to.
Very Good. I don’t get people who refuse to play by the rules and then cry crocodile tears when they get caught. It was entirely her choice. Although I’m not sure she’d be a great contributor to Poland. Sneaky people like this rarely change. The rules exist for a reason, either respect them or face consequences.
If she didn’t want to legalize her status for 20 years, it’s her own fault. Illegal – get out. She had enough time.
This is what I voted for!! Make America Great Again!!
On a serious note, anyone defending this treatment over fucking papers is a disgusting human being. Being undocumented in the US is a CIVIL offense not a criminal one.
On a told you so note, I told every trump loving idiot pole here (i live in chicago) they’re next and they did not listen. It’s hard for me to feel bad for people who for the most part, cheered this on when it was black and brown people being dehumanized.
At least she’s getting deported to Poland and not a shit hole like El Salvador or South Sudan, which some people are being deported into despite not being citizens of these places
How did she managed to stay in the US for an extra 11 years after being ordered to leave?
Polish mother who very likely voted for Trump like many who ended up being deported or having family members be deported.
39 comments
A Polish woman who lived and raised a family in the United States for over 20 years has been deported from the country, despite a desperate plea from her heartbroken relatives.
Irina Sobierajska was forced to return to Poland last Friday after authorities gave her 48 hours to leave the country she had called home since 2004, Detroit news outlet Local 4 reported.
She had lived in the U.S. twice as long as she ever lived in Poland, and leaves her husband and two children behind in Macomb County near Detroit.
Before leaving, the 62-year-old told Local 4 that she does not know anyone in Poland. “How can you go back to a country [where] you have literally nothing?” she said.
The deportation order came despite Sobierajska’s stay of removal request to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The Polish national’s family say they had exhausted other avenues to keep her from being removed, including speaking to a lawyer and reaching out to state senators.
‘Terror, shock and panic’
Patrycja Sobierajska, the deportee’s daughter, said the days leading up to her mother’s deportation were full of “terror, shock and panic.”
“Her and my dad came to the [U.S.] to help build a better life and start a strong foundation for my brother and myself. They worked hard… We have this home, we’ve worked for everything ourselves, we never asked for anything,” she said.
“I feel like people could find it in their hearts to not separate a family who is trying to just live a life like anybody else.”
Despite being an unlawful resident in the U.S., Irina Sobierajska was allowed to legally work in the country, Local 4 reported. The outlet added that Sobierajska was a caretaker for her husband, with their family now fearing that his health will worsen without Irina by his side.
‘It’s just all unfair’
Sobierajska’s daughter added that she “can’t stand the idea of being separated” from her mother.
“Yes, I am 26 years old and I am an adult, but at the end of the day everybody needs their mom. My mom is my best friend. The fact that I won’t be able to hold her or hug her or anything breaks my heart,” she said.
In a statement to Local 4, ICE said Sobierajska had been “afforded due process” after an immigration judge first ordered her removal in 2014 for overstaying a visa – a ruling the family tried unsuccessfully to appeal.
Irina Sobierajska’s son, Bernard, said: “They look at her as a criminal and that’s just the heartbreaking part… She’s never done anything, and she’s just the nicest person in the world. I don’t get it… It’s just all unfair.”
Undocumented Poles at risk in the U.S.
Donald Trump, who in January was sworn into office for his second term as U.S. president, has made it a priority of his administration to crack down on illegal immigration.
Polish officials earlier this year estimated that up to 30,000 Poles could be at risk of deportation from the U.S.
The day after Trump’s inauguration, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced he had directed Polish consular officials in the U.S. to prepare to facilitate the return of any Poles affected by the White House’s deportation plans.
Tusk said “a lot has changed” in Poland in recent years, adding: “Every Pole will be warmly welcomed back home. Everyone will find a place in their homeland. Here, they will find their own America.”
So what? She made her choice 20 years ago and now face consequences, she was supposed to be deported already in 2014. No idea why the surprise here.
I mean I’m all for burning the current US administration to the ground, but she overstayed the Visa and was invited to leave 11 years ago.
I don’t see the same outrage for Mexican people in that condition
I have a family friend and his daughter is overstaying her visa for decades. And she is a big trump supporter and hates illegal immigrants. She still does not connect the dots that she is also an illegal immigrant and oblivious to the fact that she can face deportation anytime.
And I am just waiting for Leopards eat my face moment.
When you illegally enter and live in a country, are told to leave and don’t, and never bother trying to legalize your stay, then yes – you should be deported. Living in a foreign country is not a right.
Her daughter can sponsor her and have her back in the US within a year … if not for the 10 year ban she triggered by overstaying for more than a year. A future secretary of state might give her a waiver so she can return without having to wait a decade.
She overstayed visa for mant years. You wanna have state of law or not? I’m sorry for this woman but I’m surprised it happened only now.
ICE raids in Jackowo when
[deleted]
She had pretty good run imo.
Why is she called “mother”? It’s a ridiculous habit from anglophone media. Can we just Say “woman’?
I’m not trying to sound harsh, but isn’t overstaying a visa already a violation of immigration law?
I get that deportation can feel unfair on a human level, but legally speaking, isn’t this similar to not paying taxes for years and then facing the consequences once it’s discovered?
Or is there some loophole where “we didn’t catch you so it wasn’t illegal”? Trying to understand the difference between “human sympathy” and the legal side here.
Poland is way better. She will be very happy. She should bring her family too.
You had 20 years to get your paperwork in order… This just plain stupid
I have a family that lives there for 40 years, does not speak English and hides from “immigration”. Also they still think that in Poland people rode horses on streets
The potentially ironic conclusion is that when her daughter and their family visit babcia in Poland, they realize that life is better in Europe and the rest of the family moves too.
100% can put all my money on her supporting Trump tho
As a legal immigrant, I don’t get US citizens that support illegal immigration.
Imagine being there illegally for 20 years and do nothing about that. Is she stupid?
Had plenty of time to get a green card
“Despite being an unlawful resident in the U.S., Irina Sobierajska was allowed to legally work in the country […]” So she was in the USA illegally, I don’t understand what’s going on, all she had to do was get a residence card and there would be no problem 🤷♂️
If her husband is us citizen – isn’t she allowed to get green card?
So I took a minute to read an article and:
She is deported but not her husband, which means that guy is there legally. Why she didn’t get papers from him!? That means one thing- she came to the us using false documents(not that uncommon) or she crossed the border on foot. I personally knew one person who crossed the border and the other who came on false papers. Both women came around the same time she did. They are still living in the US illegally. They could go back to Poland to try to fix this- but NOOOOO both of those women refused again and again to do anything about it. Both talked to their lawyers and the one who came using someone else papers was told to go back to Poland and apply for her green card there- whole process would take max 2years. Done deal! Her guy said he is fine with it- she refused. Second genius got married and has two daughters. Because she got married in us, she is already in the system so even is she came back to Poland she quite possibly will have problems with getting her papers but their lawyer said it’s possible. Her husband agreed as well and I hear him saying that he has no problem going back for a while. NOPE!…. It’s their own fault- they all waited for amnesty.
I spent 4 years in the US between the ages 5-9 in the 80s and thought I’m American. I didn’t speak or think any Polish. Then we went back to Poland in 88 and boy did that have an impact.
“Sobierajska’s father was Russian, her mother was Ukrainian, and they were members of the Russian Orthodox Church.”
She’s not Polish. Just another Russian thief who believes she’s smarter than everyone else and trying to exploit the system.
Why didn’t she legalise her stay?
Very good! She will arrive in a better country!
I do not want illegal immigrants in Poland and even if I am leftist I do understand Trump’s action.
Obey the law or GTFO.
Hold on, she stayed illegally, oh daughter needs her mommy, you should had make sure she receives a visa to stay?
I bet she was a Trumporter.
That’s very unfortunate for her and her family. However she is not Polish. The statement that she doesn’t know anyone in Poland rings the truth. There are many families in the US that have similar situation. Many people used Poland as a stepping stone to get out with the final destination to be the US. In order to apply for legal papers based on marriage to US citizen she will need to go back to the country where she is a legal citizen and apply from there. Having young kids prevented her from doing that. Plus she might be confused about which country she needs to go back to.
Very Good. I don’t get people who refuse to play by the rules and then cry crocodile tears when they get caught. It was entirely her choice. Although I’m not sure she’d be a great contributor to Poland. Sneaky people like this rarely change. The rules exist for a reason, either respect them or face consequences.
If she didn’t want to legalize her status for 20 years, it’s her own fault. Illegal – get out. She had enough time.
This is what I voted for!! Make America Great Again!!
On a serious note, anyone defending this treatment over fucking papers is a disgusting human being. Being undocumented in the US is a CIVIL offense not a criminal one.
On a told you so note, I told every trump loving idiot pole here (i live in chicago) they’re next and they did not listen. It’s hard for me to feel bad for people who for the most part, cheered this on when it was black and brown people being dehumanized.
At least she’s getting deported to Poland and not a shit hole like El Salvador or South Sudan, which some people are being deported into despite not being citizens of these places
How did she managed to stay in the US for an extra 11 years after being ordered to leave?
Polish mother who very likely voted for Trump like many who ended up being deported or having family members be deported.
good job
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