Jon S. Corzine: “I rise today to introduce private legislation granting citizenship to Deena Gilbey, a woman profoundly affected by the…”

“I rise today to introduce private legislation granting citizenship to Deena Gilbey, a woman profoundly affected by the disaster of September 11. Since then, Deena has endured a tremendous hardship, a hardship that has been compounded by mounting paperwork and an unyielding, dispassionate bureaucratic process. Without swift congressional action, Deena, a British national, will be forced to uproot her two children and remove them from the only country they have ever known just one year from the death of their father. Deena Gilbey first moved to the United States in July 1993 when Paul, her husband was transferred from London to the New York office of Euro Bank. They spent the eight years that followed building a life in the United States in suburban Chatham Township. They began to raise two children, Max, 7, and Mason, 3, both of whom were born in the United States. Although the children are both U.S. citizens, Deena is not and was present in the county as part of her husband's H1-B work visa. Both Deena and Paul were attempting to become citizens when disaster struck.”