SEQUIM — With about two weeks until the Strong family must leave the country, Oliver Strong remains incarcerated without bond and his wife, Penny, is still asking for support from the community.
The Blyn-area couple, both from South Africa, and their five children — ages 7 months to 13 years — will be sent out of the country in early December. The U.S. government notified them of their deportation when they took Oliver Strong into custody at their home last month.
Penny Strong said she needs her husband home, if even under electronic monitoring, to get their affairs in order.
“Right now, basically the time is ticking and the days are getting shorter,” she said last week.
She has hired a new immigration attorney to fight for their right to stay in the United States, and friends are selling raffle tickets for some of Oliver Strong’s artwork to raise money for the family’s legal costs.
Other community support, such as letters and phone calls, is getting the family’s story out to lawmakers.
“We’ve received a lot of calls and e-mails expressing concern about the family and asking us to do whatever we can to help the Strongs continue to live there,” said George Behan, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair.
“It’s tough,” he said Friday. “This is one of those cases that is difficult because the deadline has already expired and the deportation order is in process.”