Trials and Immigrations

Marinoff is pacing up and down a hallway, on his cell phone with a U.S. Attorney. The animated conversation is mostly legal minutiae, but it's punctuated with Marinoff's casually bold assertion: "This is what I do every day..."

A moment later: "I do this every single day..."

Anthony Camera

Deportation man: INS district director Joe Greene.

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More About

• Rafael Maldonado
• Dan Boyle
• Brandon Marinoff
• Immigration
• Illegal Immigration and Deportation

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Then: "I've handled twenty or thirty of these cases..."

As Marinoff spars on the phone, Fraser tries to keep her composure. "We wanted to get married New Year's Eve," she says, tears welling up. Instead she married Wilmes in jail, to prove to the INS that their relationship is not a sham, which is the only thing that could keep Wilmes from flying the friendly skies. She could move to Germany, but she has a daughter in high school here. She could try to get her boyfriend back by working through the American Consulate, but who knows whether that will work? Marinoff has filed a motion, and a hearing is hastily scheduled for 9 a.m. with U.S. District Judge John Kane, who is apparently the only available judge, since many of the others are away at a conference. But Kane doesn't have time to hear the case, so he grants Marinoff's temporary restraining order to prevent Wilmes from being deported -- for 72 hours. Then Marinoff must appear before the judge assigned to the case, Edward Nottingham, and make his stand.

It goes without saying that no other lawyer in town has the skills to be here right now. At least that's what Marinoff says. "They would have said to Elmar, 'You're a visa overstayer. There's nothing we can do for you. Go back.' I'm going to try and do something."

"When you stop an airplane..." Marinoff begins, then loses the thought. "What you saw today is an accomplishment."

Seventy-two hours later, the judge denies Marinoff's motion, claiming the court doesn't have jurisdiction. Marinoff files an appeal the following day with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. For the moment, Wilmes remains in the country.