Reso 2007-126 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

IN THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO RESOLUTION NO. 2007-126 (1123) RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE EFFORT OF UNITED STATES SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN AND CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER MARY HAYASHI TO OBTAIN PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR MRS. JACQUELINE W. COATS WHEREAS, Assembly Joint Resolution No. 35, as authored by Assembly Member Mary Hayashi, respectfully request the President of the United States and the United States Congress to support S. 420, authored by Senator Diane Feinstein, which provides for Mrs. Jacqueline W. Coats, widow of Marlin Coats who was posthumously granted the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for bravery while attempting to save two drowning children, to obtain permanent resident status. WHEREAS, Mrs. Jacqueline W. Coats February legally entered the United States in August 2001 on a student visa. She met Marlin Coats in February 2004, and on April 17, 2006, the couple married with plans to start a family; and WHEREAS, Weeks after their wedding, on May 10, 2006, Mr. Coats signed a petition to confer lawful permanent residence upon Mrs. Coats. However, Mr. Coats could not file the petition for his wife, because he died four days later while attempting to save two children from drowning in the Pacific Ocean; and WHEREAS, On May 14, 2006, Mr. Coats, 29, and some of his family were gathered on Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California, when they heard two brothers, ages 11 and 14, calling for help as they struggled in the surf; and WHEREAS, A former lifeguard, Mr. Coats attempted to rescue the two boys, but was caught in a riptide and drowned. The boys were eventually brought safely ashore by a rescue crew; and WHEREAS, On July 6,2007, Mr. Coats was posthumously granted the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for his bravery, including a $5,000 award that will be donated to the Marlin Coats Memorial Fund established to provide swimming lessons to children; and WHEREAS, Since Mr. Coats died before he could complete the immigration paperwork for Mrs. Coats, her petition is deemed void under the law, and she now faces certain deportation from the United States; and WHEREAS, In order to prevent Mrs. Coats from being deported as a result of her husband's untimely and heroic death, Senator Diane Feinstein authored S. 420, which provides for Mrs. Coats to obtain permanent resident status.