Deported to South Africa for Voting

Erhard left S. Africa when he was 15, signed with Selective Services when he was 18, and has been in the U.S.A. since. He is now 25.

Ten years ago, Erhard Van Vuuren left South Africa with his parents and moved to the United States. He was 15 years old. As required by law, he signed with Selective Services at 18 years of age. Soon after, a campaign drive soliciting students to register to vote assured Erhard that he was entitled to register. After all, they reasoned, he had signed up with Selective Services. Erhard did register to vote and that's not all.

Like any other patriot who has registered to vote and has a right to vote, he voted. Why wouldn't he? It would not make sense for him to register to vote and then not vote; After all, the campaign drive convinced him he was legally able to register.

This would turn out to be a mistake.

At the Van Vuuren family interview for citizenship, eager to provide beneficial information of how much of a good citizen he would be, Erhard volunteered the information that he voted. As a result, he was denied citizenship and will now be deported as per the letter from Immigration and Naturalization Services stating he lacks character because he voted whilst not being a citizen, and that is a deportable offense.

As of this article, Erhard lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with his mother and father who are U.S. citizens. Because they are now United States citizens they can no longer become permanent residents of South Africa again due to more political mish mosh.

Erhard Van Vuuren has no arrest record. No juvenile problems. No speeding tickets. He has grown up in the United States and has been here for ten years. His formative years, relationships and particularly his parents are here. He has no ties to South Africa and for him to get deported would be another American bureaucratic error.

They have until January 07th to file an appeal.

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