Arnold Giammarco was honorably discharged from the Army before his life hit a rough patch. He served time for shoplifting and substance abuse. But in 2011, after serving time in prison for his crimes, marrying and having a child and turning his life around, he was deported to his native Italy.
Sharon Giammarco has been raising the couple’s 4-year-old son since her husband was deported.
“I’ve had to take on a second job working close to 70 hours a week just to keep our heads above water,” she said.
Arnold Giammarco came to the United States from Italy at the age of four and lived in Connecticut as a legal resident before joining the Army. He applied to be a U.S. citizen but his application sat unanswered.
On Tuesday, law students at Yale university helped Sharon Giammarco file a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The hope is the suit will compel the government to decide on Giammatco’s application for citizenship and bring him back to the U.S.