Popular Street Food Vendor's Future Put on ICE
By SAJID FAROOQ
Updated 4:00 PM PST, Thu, Nov 5, 2009
Murat Celebi-Ariner has been given his deportation papers.
The popular street food vendor was detained by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week for overstaying his visa. The French citizen was in the country under the Visa Waiver Program, which means he was allowed into the country for 90 days.
The problem is the chef fell in love and got married to American citizen shortly after his arrival last March. But that is of no consequence to immigration officials.
“The trick is customs is not going to let you in if they think you’re going to come in, get married and stay here,” the couple’s attorney Randall Caudle told Mission Loc@l.
Under the program, a visitor has little wiggle room to argue for extending a trip.
The rigid rules leave his wife, Pelin Celebi-Ariner, longing for her husband to come back home to their Mission district apartment. And foodies missing Murat's delicious goodies.
First Published: Nov 5, 2009 3:45 PM PST
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