As we approach our one year anniversary, and our second year of being apart as a married couple, I am angry, depressed and frustrated at my government. I am angry at a broken immigration system that keeps families apart and treats all immigrants as terrorists. I'm angry that I have to pay fees that are far higher than any immigrant that has come before my wife in order to fix the most dysfunctional agency in the federal government. I am depressed that I am unable to start a life with wife and start a new family in this country. And I'm frustrated whenever I have to explain to someone how horrid our immigration system is when I am asked "why can't your wife just move here already?"

As the editor for Project Immigration I get frustrated when I see all the anti-illegal immigrant people who don't understand why there are so many people here illegally. But I also get frustrated by seeing so many illegals out there, and wonder if so many people can get away with breaking the law, why is it so hard for my wife and I to live together by doing everything the legal way. But mostly I am frustrated with the government. My wife is from Japan, an ally of the United States, and a country where people don't generally live in poverty, or blow things up, or live in danger, or go hungry, or have any other reason to want to move to America. She lived here for two years, and in that time did not prove to be a threat to national security (although she did get a few speeding tickets.)

I sometimes wonder why my wife even wants to move to America when I can become a legal resident in just four days (that's no typo, I did say four days!) She will actually make less money over here because the dollar is so weak. And she'll be leaving one of the most wealthiest, educated and safest countries in the world to come to the United States. But when she lived in America before, she found this to be a beautiful country, full of good, friendly, thoughtful people. America is a great country and even though our government is bringing us down, we really do want to make our home here. Thankfully there are some people in the government who are willing to help. My senator Jim Webb has promised to help us with our case. Hopefully that will bring results.

In the meantime I am hiring an attorney. And next week I am going to Japan to visit my wife for a week. I will be bringing my resume with me. Because when you are dealing with the government, it's good to have a backup plan.