Country of Origin
Poland
Abstract
Esther Zolenge entered the U.S. from Poland in 1929 on a non-quota visa based on her father's naturalization in 1926. She traveled to Mexico in 1931, married her husband, Srul Szymen Ziclonikwiat in 1932, and became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 1934. She obtained a Citizen's Identification Card at the port of El Paso in 1939 for the purpose of resuming residence in the U.S.
In March of 1939 she started the paperwork to bring her husband to the U.S. from Juarez. It's at this point that she gets into trouble. She always assumed she was a U.S. citizen based on her father's naturalization; however, her birth certificate, her father's petition for naturalization, and her statements all contain a different date of birth -- August 1907, December 1909, and August 1910, respectively. If she was older than 21 when she entered the U.S. she couldn't be considered a naturalized citizen. She was brought before the court for deportation proceedings.
While her court case was going on her husband received his non-quota number and visa from Poland and was able to enter the U.S. permanently. Once he was in the country he began the paperwork to stop her deportation.
Comments
See also Wortman -- Zuchoweizki. The file for Zelonikwiat is located in "Additional Files" at the bottom of the page.