Couple separated by border meet at Peace Arch

BLAINE, Wash.: When the strain of separation becomes too much and they need to see and hold one another, David Williams and his wife, Janeane Ardiel, meet in a sort of no man's land here just feet from a concrete boundary marker separating Canada from the US.

Married for five months, the couple - he American, she Canadian - are  stranded on either side of the border, unable to cross into the other's country.

Williams, 45, who lives in Bellingham, can't travel into Canada because a 6-year-old DUI conviction makes him inadmissible.

And his wife, also 45, was denied entry to the US in July after border officers in Blaine noticed her almost-weekly trips and told her they believed her intent was to live in the US not just visit.

``It is like being severed from my lifeline,'' Ardiel said.

The couple have filed paperwork to get her legal status in the US, where they hope eventually to settle.

In the meantime, they have discovered a quiet place where they can meet - a metal picnic table beneath a sprawling silver maple in the shadow of this beautiful park's looming white arch.

Surrounded by shrubs and flowers that offer a little privacy, the site is a common meet-up spot for separated Canadians and Americans who may visit the park without officially leaving their respective countries.

Len Saunders, the couple's immigration attorney, who first told them about the picnic table, said clients use it because it's the most neutral spot within the park, almost on top of the boundary line.

"It's a sort of no man's land,'' he said. ``I'm sure there are cameras everywhere, but I've never seen an officer out there ... ``

Last week, Williams and Ardiel met here for the second time since her July 22 ban from the US.

Williams, wearing jeans and a sweater, saw his wife far across the park when she was just yards from the Canadian inspection station and heading toward him.

As she reached him and they hugged, Ardiel broke down in sobs.

Though they speak every day, the distance has been tough on them both.

``I can tell her I love her 100 times on the phone,'' Williams said. ``It's far different when I can do it looking into her eyes.''

Contrary to popular belief, a foreigner who marries a US citizen doesn't get automatic residency in the US. In fact, thousands of Americans are separated from spouses living in foreign countries.

Those who enter the US legally and are living here when they marry a US citizen can remain here while the immigration service processes their green-card petitions.

But those who are living abroad including in Canada usually must remain there during the processing, which can take six months or longer.

``Immigration law doesn't necessarily favor cross-border love,'' said Karol Brown, an immigration attorney in Seattle.

With citizenships in different countries, Williams, a chef, and Ardiel, a 911 emergency operator, knew they wouldn't be able to live together right away.

They had talked about which country they would live in and determined they wanted to have access to both.

They knew that eventually they would begin the process to get Ardiel documents so she could live in the States.

But with their finances pressed, petitioning for a green card was not a priority. And they assumed they'd be able to spend days together every week while they raised the money for the immigration paperwork and legal fees.

-AP