A congressional committee is considering a private bill that would give a Kenyan woman living in Medford permanent residency in the United States so she can take care of her ailing, US-born son.
The bill, filed this year on behalf of Esther Karinge by US Representative Ed Markey, Democrat of Malden, was scheduled to be heard yesterday in the House Committee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
According to Markey’s office, Karinge, 49, came to the United States in 1994 but was denied asylum a few years later. She has been granted stays of removal in one-year increments to take care of her son, Nicholas, who was born in 1995 with birth defects. He suffers from several severe physical and mental disabilities, including cerebral palsy and hearing loss.
The boy’s doctors believe he would not receive needed care if he and his mother were sent to Kenya.
“The story of Esther Karinge and her son, Nicholas, is one of the most compelling and extraordinary cases that has ever been brought before my office,’’ Markey said in a statement. “With the introduction of a private relief bill on Esther’s behalf in this Congress, I will continue to work to ensure that Esther and her son remain together as a family in the United States, where Esther will be able to care for Nicholas and where Nicholas will have uninterrupted access to the medical treatment he needs to thrive.’’
Markey has filed a bill on Karinge’s behalf every session since 2003.
