Pleasantville woman fights to get mother to U.S. from Lebanon

In May, she felt she had to go back to her home country when her mother's dementia got worse and there was no one else to care for her.

News 12 Staff

Aug 18, 2021, 12:25 AM

Updated 1,147 days ago

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A Pleasantville woman is fighting to get her mother to the United States from Lebanon.
Malak Benzenberg is a Beirut native who became a U.S. citizen last year.
In May, she felt she had to go back to her home country when her mother's dementia got worse and there was no one else to care for her.
Benzenberg says Lebanon is still reeling from last summer's massive explosion -- and there's a worsening economic crisis with shortages of food, water, fuel, power - and no medicine for her mother.
While Benzenberg will have no problem going back to the U.S. herself, she worries about leaving without her mom in tow.
She applied for an expedited Alien Relative I-130 application - but still, there is no word.
"I'm at a loss. I don't know what to do. If I stay here and let's say lose my income or something happens to me, I'm not helping her. Then if I leave her, she wouldn't know anything," says Benzenberg.
Benzenberg started an online petition, and wrote a letter to Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for help.
Gillibrand's office says they will look into the matter on Wednesday.