The best interests of U.S. citizens are obviously not on the bureaucratic list of priorities

A Bradenton man is fighting to keep his family together, even though they are half a world away. He and his wife, a Japanese national, are caught in the middle of an immigration nightmare. It started with what seemed like a simple visa mistake. Now every moment of every day, Keith Campbell is fighting to bring home his wife and two young boys. “I can’t let it go on forever, being half a world away. I’ve got little kids. I feel like I need to be protected from my own government,” said Campbell.

He and his wife Akiko met in Asia while he was working overseas. They got married nine years ago and built a life together with their children in Bradenton. Campbell says his wife entered the country with a fiance visa – the problem was that they’d just gotten married. “That’s it. There’s no, no criminal activity, no questionable behavior, no link to terrorism. There’s no anything,” offered Campbell. But in the eyes of immigration officials, she was in the country illegally. Campbell says they’ve struggled to clear up the mistake for years. So, when a letter arrived, saying “notice of approval for visa petition,” they thought their prayers were answered.

In January, Akiko flew to Japan and went to the U.S. embassy as instructed. She took the kids with her for a visit to her homeland. But when she got there, Campbell says she was told she couldn’t come back. She was not only denied a visa, but told she couldn’t re-apply for another 10-years.

“It was a shock. It changed the spirit of what was going on. It went from her going over there for a visit, to her being over there forever,” said Campbell. He believes immigration officials never intended to issue a visa to his wife. “I went to the embassy. I asked if they knew it was denied all along and they said yes. We knew it up front. So it’s definitely an underhanded, dishonest way,” said Campbell. “It is an outrage. I can’t be outraged though. People who are outraged aren’t successful. So, I’ve got to be calculated and do what makes sense and be morally correct. And I’ve got to be within the law. But I feel like the government’s picked a fight and I’m gonna fight. I’m gonna fight to get her back because she deserves to be here.”

Campbell has received hundreds of letters of support from friends and colleagues. He’s also written plenty of letters himself to immigration officials and politicians. So far nothing’s worked. But, he’s not giving up. He says his wife and children are his life. “She hasn’t given up hope and that’s what fuels my fire. But she tells me it’s hard to hope. It’s getting harder to hope.”

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