What comes next for the mother who successfully fought for her son’s immigration rights

Fort Wayne, Indiana – Rebekah Hubley, who adopted her son Jonas from Haiti in 2010, has triumphed in her battle to obtain citizenship for him.

In addition to cerebral palsy, he is blind.

After U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services mistakenly rejected his application for naturalization in the autumn and warned him that he would have to leave the country voluntarily or face deportation, Hubley had been fighting to keep him in the United States.

The Hubleys said that although they are happy with the outcome, they won’t be able to fully rejoice until they receive Jonas’s citizenship papers in the mail.

“Surprisingly there has not been tears since and I think we’re all still a little bit in shock,” Hubley said.

The family said they would concentrate on how the choice would improve Jonas’s life when the first shock had subsided.

“For Jonas, his citizenship is a passport to benefits that will give his life more freedom. We can give him everything that he needs, but these will just be additional benefits to enhance the quality of life for a kid who’s trapped inside a developmentally and physically disabled body,” Hubley said.

The family understands how fortunate they are that Jonas’s story became viral in comparison to other families going through similar struggles who lack the means to see results, which makes this decision painful.

“We took on the U.S. government and we won, rightfully so, but that oftentimes does not happen,” Hubley said.

Kelly Dempsey, their lawyer, claims that this issue is common.

“Very pervasive. It is the bulk of my career over the last 15 years is helping families who have faced similar unfair circumstances.”

According to Dempsey, the triumph is a miracle. “It took a viral social media story, the intervention of countless news outlets, the White House, two members of Congress, a senator, and law firms around the country to save this one child. It should never require that amount of resources for any family for the U.S. government to do the right thing.”

To utilize Jonas’s tale as a catalyst for change, Hubley has already asked to testify before Congress. “His story will move the masses to make changes for all these other kids,” Hubley said.