Marine Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. Memorial Act, lives on hold because of Senator Sessions objections

Mother's plea raises hope son's widow can enter US
By Michael Collins
Posted November 24, 2010 at midnight

Called "the Marine Sgt. Michael H. Ferschke Jr. Memorial Act," the bill cleared the U.S. House last week with support from Democrats and Republicans. Supporters were hoping to push the measure quickly through the U.S. Senate as well, but Sessions' objections have slowed it down and could possibly dim its prospects of passing before Congress adjourns at the end of December.

WASHINGTON - A Maryville woman who is trying to bring her widowed Japanese daughter-in-law and infant grandson to East Tennessee urged a U.S. Senator from Alabama on Tuesday to stop holding up a bill that would allow her family to be reunited.

Robin Ferschke met with Sen. Jeff Sessions for about an hour in his office in Mobile, Ala., and made a personal plea for him to let the legislation go forward.

"He said he does believe it should happen, that we need to make this right," Ferschke said.

Sessions is the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the bill is pending. A number of Senate offices have raised concerns the bill language is too broad and would needlessly remove a whole class of immigration safeguards that do not apply to the Ferschkes' situation, said Sessions' spokesman, Stephen Miller.
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Mother's plea raises hope son's widow can enter US