On October 7, Jamie Trisha, an instructor at the Air Force School For Air Defense, who trains soldiers to serve on the Iron Dome, was called home and ordered to immediately head south. Her father drove her under fire to position Iron Dome batteries amid the heavy rocket fire that accompanied the Hamas massacre.
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Family is the most important thing in Trisha's life and the source of her strength. Aside from her military service, she is fighting the deportation of her stepmother and younger half-brothers and has been doing so for the past 12 years.
After a court battle, the family's case was ordered back to the immigration authorities for review but that was two years ago and only last week, after repeated requests, the authority agreed to grant the family an interview and collect updated information.
Trisha's mother abandoned her with her father when she was three and returned to the Philippines where she and Victor, the dad, had come from. Mai, her stepmom is the only mother she knows and has been raising her ever since.
Victor has temporary residence status, but Mai and the two boys, Ivan, 12 and Liam, 9, do not have any status, are not eligible for any health or social services and are at risk of deportation although the boys do not know any home other than Israel.
The family lives in Jerusalem and runs a small market selling Asian food products. They are well-known and loved in their community. Trisha herself signed up for conversion classes during her military service and intends to remain in the IDF after completing her compulsory two years.
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Jamie Trisha with her parents at the Air Force School For Air Defense
(Photo: Courtesy of the family)
"I am sacrificing myself to protect my country and its citizens, endangering my life out of a sense of real commitment, and the country cannot take my family away from me," she wrote in an emotional plea to the Interior Ministry. She said Mai has raised her to be who she has become and that her younger brothers have told her that they too hope to enlist and serve to protect Israel, when they grow up.
Tomer Warsaw who is the attorney representing the family wrote in his appeal to the Interior Minister, to consider the special circumstances and exercise compassion, so that the family could stay together.
The Population and Immigration Authority said the family appeared before the authority to present their case on humanitarian grounds and that a decision would be made soon.