A Romanian, deported from the US in 2009 after a legal dispute of 15 years, was welcomed again on American soil 

A Romania, deported from the US based on an order ruled in his absence 12 years ago, was welcomed to his family in Michigan, mlive.com reads. Tiberiu Caraiman was compelled to leave the US territory in March last year after a 15 years legal dispute with immigration authorities in the US.

Caraiman reached the Detroit airport on Tuesday after 16 months and declared that he cannot believe it. He managed to regain his legal status after 15 years of legal efforts and after changing five lawyers. In three years, he might become an American citizen.

Caraiman was met by his family, both American citizens. They spent a year in Romania together with Tiberiu before he returned in the US. Tiberiu arrived in the US in 1994, with a visitor visa of 60 days and shortly after he submitted requests of political asylum and work permits. Caraiman did not talk English so well so his lawyers ommitted to tell him many of the decisions of the time.

Meanwhile, he met Gina, an American citizen with Romanian origins with whom he married in 1996 without knowing that authorities issued a deporting order in his absence. In the last 15 years Tiberiu tried to convince American authorities to allow him to stay on American soil. He said that he has never tried to hide from the authorities.