By Damian Gessel
PHILADELPHIA — Pedro and Salvacion Servano have at least 60 more days to fight their pending deportation to the Philippines.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday granted the Selinsgrove residents a two-month reprieve during a scheduled meeting in Philadelphia, giving them a tight window of time to garner support for a private legislative bill naming them U.S. citizens.
In the meantime, they’ll get to return home and to work.
The Department of Homeland Security denied the Servanos’ request for deferred action, however, meaning with their legal road at an end, their hopes are now pinned solely on help from one of three U.S. legislators.
The family and their lawyers expressed optimism following a 1 p.m. private session with immigration officials.
“They didn’t give us a drop dead date for when (the Servanos) would be removed from the United States. They’ve given us a sufficient amount of time to work with senators’ offices,” Attorney Gregg Cotler said. “This is not a normal deportation proceeding. There are a tremendous amount of equities in this case.”
Mr. Cotler said Sen. Arlen Specter has shown interest in sponsoring a private legislative bill in support of the Servanos. Representatives for Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-10 of Dimock, have also actively been researching the family’s situation.
Rep. Carney on Monday called the Servanos’ reprieve “excellent news.”
“This gives us more time to examine all of the facts in this case and see what options are available through Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Our office is committed to making sure the Servano family, the law and the interests of the district are being respected. We understand this is a significant ordeal for the family,” he said.
Ann Ruben, another lawyer working for the Servanos, said while it’s unlikely a bill would be drafted and passed inside of 60 days, the couple may be given a second 60-day extension if they can prove such a measure is in the works.
Ms. Ruben noted Monday’s outcome fell somewhere between their highest hopes and worst fears.
“Worst-case scenario? They could have put the Servanos on a plane this afternoon. And best, they could have granted them deferment,” she said. “This is in between, maybe closer to the good side.”
The entire Servano Family — Dr. Servano, his wife and children Shappine, 24, Steven 22, Peter, 15 and Phoebe, 13 — stood lined against the immigration office building minutes after their meeting as dozens of reporters and camera crews swarmed around them.
Just hours earlier, during an emotional press conference, Steven Servano revealed the children’s plan to uproot from the United States and join their parents in the Philippines, if they’re deported.
“We grew up as one family here, and if we went back to the Philippines, we would stay as one family,” he told a crush of reporters, admitting his own future as a law student may be jeopardized by the move.
Peter Servano, who is enrolled at Selinsgrove Area High School, became tearful when a reporter asked him what would happen if his parents were deported.
“Everything I know here would be gone,” he said, struggling for words.
Mrs. Servano added: “We would never dream this would have happened. No parents would subject their children to this.”
The entire Servano family on Monday said they were hopeful they could gather the political support necessary for Dr. and Mrs. Servano to remain in the country in the 60-day window they’ve been allotted.
n E-mail comments to dgessel@dailyitem.com.
