By: Sarah Lewisohn
“I can’t imagine who would have helped us for 10 years if I didn’t know IH. Their generosity, willingness to help and dedication is amazing. Thank you all IH staff, you will always be my family” said Haile Ghebreslasie at International House’s 2023 Tapas & Testimonials event.
HAILE’S STORY
Haile Ghebreslasie is from the small East African country of Eritrea, and at International House’s 2023 Tapas & Testimonials event told the story of his long and complicated journey to the United States. He was accompanied at the event by his wife, Filimawit, and daughter, Heiran, who both joined him in the United States on September 2, 2023, after ten long years of separation.
Haile and Filimawit got married in Eritrea in 2009. Eritrea is a poor country with a one-party political system, Haile explained. In 2010 he was arrested for writing a protest sign on a wall at his work because he was upset with unfair government and working conditions in his country. Fortunately, he was able to escape and flee to Sudan.
“But this decision was not taken lightly,” Haile said. “I was leaving my wife behind, and I had to cross the border to Sudan without being seen, as there was a shoot-on-the-site policy to those fleeing the country.” Furthermore, Filimawit did not find out that Haile had fled the country until receiving a call from him from Sudan.
After over a year in Sudan, Haile was able to get a ticket to Brazil. Once he arrived there, he had to travel miles and miles through South America to reach the southern border of the U.S. At the border, Haile asked for Asylum, and after months of detainment it was granted to him on January 31, 2012.
HAILE’S BEGINNINGS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE FIGHT FOR HIS FAMILY
Haile started off living with his uncle in Maryland. He contracted Lyme Disease during his journey to the U.S. He could barely walk, and it took him eight long months to regain his mental and physical strength. Once he felt strong again, he traveled to Charlotte to visit some friends.
“I liked it so much, I decided to move here,” he said. Charlotte has been Haile’s home ever since then.
Now, it was time for his wife Filimawit to come to the States. His ten-year long fight to reunite with his wife and soon to be daughter began in 2013 when he learned about International House.
Haile filed his refugee/asylee relative petition for Filimawit in 2013 with the help of IH. Immigrant visas cannot be processed in Eritrea, and it is extremely difficult for young Eritreans to leave the country. For this reason, his wife had to escape to Ethiopia – a dangerous act. Haile says it was a scary process for his wife, and that he had to pay a smuggler two thousand dollars to get her out of the country safely.
The following year Filimawit had her first interview at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the officer denied the visa because they did not accept their marriage certificate. At the time, Haile’s attorney was Kathy Brennan, and she helped him to get Haile’s petition for his wife re-approved. Still, Filimawit was denied again at her second interview.
In 2014, Haile became eligible to file for a green card, so Jelena Giric-Held of International House helped Haile with this application as well as an application for a refugee travel document, which once approved allowed Haile to go to Ethiopia to see his wife for the first time in six years.
A year later, in 2015, when his green card was approved, Haile became eligible to file another type of petition for his wife. They were now expecting their first child. He desperately wanted to go see his daughter, but he had to apply for a refugee travel document again, because they are valid only for one year. As soon as he received it, he went back to Ethiopia to meet their daughter, Heiran.
In 2018, Haile was called for an interview at the USCIS Charlotte Field Office regarding the petition for his wife and even though the interview went well, the petition was subsequently denied.
In the months that followed, Haile went to Ethiopia again, and this time, after consulting with his attorneys at International House, he and Filimawit went to the Refugee Civil Service office, showed them their old marriage certificate, explained the issue, and in September 2018, they were married again.
THE FIGHT WASN’T OVER
“I thought this was the beginning of the end to our troubles. But every time I would come back from Ethiopia, I was pulled aside for secondary inspection and questioned by Customs and Border patrol,” Haile said.
On Haile’s way back to the United States after remarrying Filimawit in 2018, Customs and Border Patrol took away his green card with no explanation. Haile immediately reached out to International House, and Elizabeth “Liz” Zipperer fought to get it back. “That should not happen,” Liz said to Haile when CBP took away his green card. She told Haile that there was either something in the system such as some derogatory information that requires a second inspection, or that there was a confusion about his name and possibility that it was tied to someone else or even racial profiling. Liz was upset and fought hard, and Haile’s green card was returned within a few weeks.
Liz then filed a new petition for Filimawit with their new marriage certificate. This was Haile’s third request to be reunited with his wife. Liz also filed for his citizenship, as he was now eligible, and this was granted in August of 2019.
Now a U.S. citizen, Haile filed a petition for his daughter. He hoped that his becoming citizen of the United States would allow things to go faster.
In the next couple of years, Haile continued to provide more documentation to prove his relationship with his wife and had to take a DNA test between himself and his daughter.
“An expensive and lengthy process,” said Haile, and it further delayed Filmawit’s and Heiran’s cases.
Finally, in February of 2021, both petitions for Haile’s wife and daughter were approved. And then, yet another obstacle came in their way of this already long process to reunite their family. The global COVID-19 pandemic had begun, and due to closures of US Embassies abroad, it took two more years for their interviews to be scheduled. Finally, in April of 2023, Filimawit’s and Heiran’s immigrant visas were approved, and several more months later, their visas were issued.
“It was hard to navigate client’s expectations, but this was outside of anyone’s control. There were tens of thousands of cases being processed, with the backlog just continuing to grow. A case that would normally take anywhere from 18 months to two years was now taking three to four years,” said Liz.
“Families being separated to me is cruelty and results in a lot of trauma and hardship for individuals who have already experienced immense trauma. It has gotten more disheartening to practice in this area, because the backlogs are so immense,” said Liz.
At long last, on September 2, 2023, the day came for Haile to go meet his wife and daughter at Charlotte airport, after ten long years.
“There are no words to express how difficult it was for us to be separated for this long,” said Haile.
HAILE TODAY
When asked what advice Haile has to other families trying to reunite, he said “they should never give up. I mean, like I said, it took me 10 years. Ten years, you know, could be one tenth of our entire life. It's not easy. But if you love your family, then yeah, work hard and don't give up. They will come here one day. That's what I want to say to other people.”
While waiting to be reunited with his family, Haile studied at Central Piedmont Community College, working as a taxi driver while in school. He said this is how he got to know the warm and welcoming community in Charlotte. Since 2015, Haile has been a self-employed truck driver.
“I’m sure we all share the same sentiment for Charlotte – it is truly a great city. But Charlotte also means so much to me because of International House and its staff, who opened their doors and hearts to me, and quickly became my family. International House is my second home here in Charlotte,” said Haile.
AND YOU?
Having a second home means so much. We hope that if International House can support you, that you reach out for our help. That's why we're here and you are why we work so hard each day. We want you to thrive, be connected to your loved ones, and find the success you desire.
This year, Tapas & Testimonials is being held on Friday, September 20 from 6 - 9 at The Revelry in Camp North End. Please join us as we will share a new story from someone who has been impacted by International House.
If you are unable to attend, but you would like to be part of the International House community working so hard to support our foreign-born and foreign-rooted neighbors, please donate any amount today and support us how you can. We need your help.
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