Expired Green Card II

W

ell, I'm screwed... We went to court and the Immigration and Naturalization Service--which has been relocated from the Department of Justice to the Department of Homeland Security--seems to take the position that an expired green card is an expired green card and because I forgot, M has to forfeit her green card. Since I am a US citizen, the judge reminded me, I have the option to re-petition for her to come here. Of course, she has to go to Japan and redo all the documentation... I think I'm going to scream...

Actually, I don't want to scream. I'm just depressed. I am so frustrated at my own stupidity. How could I have forgotten? How could I have gotten myself into this position? In my own defense, right after M got her card, my mother died, and everything in my life turned into a blur. I have been getting things back in order since then, but the conditional status of M's green card was put in the back of the line of things to do and I lost track of it. I was and am still hoping that someone, anyone, in Homeland Security will show a modicum of compassion...

If M has to go back to Japan, then so do her two sons, and we don't know where she would live now. There is no home to stay at, not really. She has a couple of sisters, but you know that Japanese houses are like walk-in closets over here. Staying more than a week would be a burden to all concernend. Most likely, I would end up having to support two domiciles if this indeed is our only option.

This is, of course, financially untenable for me. So if this is my last resort, well, then I just may end up going to Japan with them, selling my house, leaving my job, etc... If you are my student, don't freak out. This is a last resort scenario, and I'm just thinking out loud...