Moroccan mother's deportation cancelled; one child has Down syndrome

From the Dayton Daily News:

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the Internet age, news travels fast. Faster than a mother of four traveling between Columbus and Englewood.

Fatiha Elgharib left her house April 2, thinking immigration officials would deport her to her native Morocco. But an hour after surrendering to agents at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in downtown Columbus, her last-minute motion for a stay was granted.

Elgharib and her husband, Youssef Hamdi, decided to surprise their four kids with the happy news in person. But before they got home, friends had called the children after reading the breaking news online at DaytonDailyNews.com.

"It was great. The kids were just ecstatic to see her," said Denise Hamdi, Elgharib's sister-in-law.Elgharib's attorney, George Katchmer of Yellow Springs, said he received help from U.S. Sen. George Voinovich's office in the last 48 hours.

Elgharib and Hamdi have four children: Sara, 18, Tina, 16, Wafaa, 9, and Sami, 6. Sami has Down syndrome (pictured with his mom) and medical needs that wouldn't be adequately handled in Morocco, Hamdi said. Sami and Wafaa are U.S. citizens.

The one-year stay gives Katchmer time to argue for permanent residency for the couple and their children. And it allows Fatiha to continue as a stay-at-home mom.

"She's a great mom," Denise Hamdi said. "It's what she lives for."