the system is broken

I can't believe this story. It's absolutely ridiculous... This New York Times story profiles the Servano family, who came to the United States from the Philippines more than twenty years ago, but are now battling a deportation order: Perfectly Legal Immigrants, Until They Applied for Citizenship. Unfortunately, the Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants working towards citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes.

The Servanos have been legally living and working in Pennsyvania for years, with the hopes of eventually becoming American citizens by applying for naturalization. You know, the way legal immigration is supposed to work. However, they've encountered a legal hitch involving their marital status when they came from the Philippines many, many years ago—a detail that could get them kicked out of the country.

Dr. Servano has been a legal immigrant in the United States for over 25 years. He and his wife have four children, all Americans by virtue of being born here. Basically, the Servanos are long-term immigrants who were fine, and could have continued to live here legally... had they not actually sought to become citizens. How messed up is that?