regina bakala's story

Regina was a high school principal in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She joined the PALU party promoting democracy which organized a democratic movement in the area.

She was tortured, raped and imprisoned for voicing her democratic beliefs and fled her country. She came to the U.S. and petitioned for asylum and this is where her story begins.

Regina, 42,  immigrated to the United States in 1995. Her husband, David, 52, escaped in 1997. For two years neither knew where the other was. Both had been brutally tortured.

They found employment, petitioned for asylum, worshipped, paid their taxes and started a family. They now live in Milwaukee, WI and attend St. Mary's Parish in Hales Corners, WI. What started as a remarkable story of faith, hope and freedom, now, may end as a horrible tragedy. Regina was arrested on March 22, 2005, threatened with imminent deportation and jailed for 11 weeks all due to poor legal representation.

Upon arriving in the United States, Regina made a lump sum payment to an attorney to handle her asylum request. He was not an immigration attorney. He filed only the minimum paperwork required, then told her he would not be with her in court. Regina asked a pro bono lawyer who met with her briefly the day before her hearing. When the judge denied asylum, she retained a third lawyer to file an appeal. Regina waited years for the results. Meanwhile, she and David moved from North Carolina to Wisconsin. They worked at a seminary saving money to purchase a small house for themselves and their two preschoolers, Christopher and Lydia. David worked in maintenance and Regina had an office job.

Before closing on the house, the loan office asked them to get updated work permits. Shocked when the government denied her work permit, Regina wrote asking why. It took eight months for their answer - her asylum appeal had been denied 3 years earlier. In addition, the grace period for reopening her case had expired. Regina and David were devastated. They called Regina's attorney who realized that it was her fault. She had neglected to notify the Board of Appeals of an address change when she moved her office so the decision never reached Regina. The lawyer said not to worry, she would remedy the situation.

Four months passed. Regina phoned repeatedly urging her lawyer to act. On March 22, 2005 Regina walked from the shower, to find Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents waiting for her in their apartment. She was promptly detained in front of David and their crying children, and taken to the Kenosha County Jail in her pajamas and slippers to await deportation.

Deportation for Regina will most likely result in her immediate execution for being outspoken on the need for democratic reforms and for fleeing the country.

Through the efforts of many and by the grace of God, Regina's case was reopened on June 5, 2005. In late fall, the original judge changed the venue to Chicago and on January 30, 2006, the asylum portion of her husband's case was also reopened. If one gets asylum, the other also gets it. Their combined hearing will be on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, in the Chicago Immigration Court. Please help their cause by making a donation. Regina shares a thank you to her supporters and the St. Mary's Parish, school staff and parents.