Canfield immigrant endured prison, but now US citizen

By DENISE DICK

denise_dick@vindy.com

CANFIELD

After living in this country for 22 years — 11 months of which he was jailed under threat of deportation — Virgil Ciprian “Chip” Gilea finally is a U.S. citizen.

It became official at a Jan. 29 ceremony at the Mahoning County Courthouse.

“It was a good feeling,” he said. “I feel like that chapter is closed. Now I can participate in anything, travel outside of the U.S. without fear of not being allowed back into the U.S.”

This also is the first year he’ll be able to vote.

Gilea and his younger sister, Bianca, emigrated from Romania to the U.S. as teenagers in 1994, four years after their parents, Virgil and Minerva. Both of the children learned English while attending Boardman High School where they graduated. They also earned degrees at Youngstown State University.

In December 2007, Gilea was arrested while at work by agents from the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency said he had stayed in the U.S. longer than he was authorized and would be deported. A New York attorney formerly retained by the family had missed a filing deadline regarding his residence and didn’t inform the family about a 2003 order requiring him to leave the country.

He was incarcerated for 11 months in jails throughout Ohio while his family tried to secure his release. Immigration authorities reopened his case after coverage by The Vindicator and intervention by a new attorney, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office and the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was released Nov. 21, 2008.

“At that time, it was one of the best days ever,” Gilea said.

He’s still grateful to his family and all of the people who played roles in securing his freedom.

A year later, he received his green card for permanent U.S. residency.

He still works at Energy Development Inc. in Poland Township, the place he was working when he was arrested, but a lot has changed in the five years since he got his green card.

He got married in 2012 and he and his wife, Brandy, have an active 16-month-old son, Luca.

“Being a father and a husband is just amazing,” he said.

The two met in 2011 when Bianca invited Brandy to a birthday party Gilea threw for his sister.

Brandy, a professor of counseling at the online Walden University, admires her husband’s resilience. With her professional background, she knows not everyone who endured what he did would come out of it with his positive attitude.

He had a lot of support from his family, church, the community and government officials and a strong faith in God, she said.

Gilea said he doesn’t think about the time he was in jail. While he was there, he had to remain strong and keep the faith for his family. Even as the days dragged into weeks and then months, he believed he would be freed. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

As soon as he was released, he put it behind him. He no longer thinks about it.

“It would have been easy to go crazy,” Gilea said. “I couldn’t let go. I had to fight until the last minute.”

He returned to Romania in 2010 to visit his grandparents and hopes to go back again with his wife and son.

Gilea loves his native land but cherishes citizenship in his adopted one. After obtaining his green card, he had to wait five years, the standard time, before applying for citizenship.

He passed a test, with both written and oral portions, to earn the certificate.

His family and friends threw a party last weekend, celebrating the new honor.

A red, white and blue banner reading, “God Bless America Ciprian Gilea USA Citizen,” hangs above the fireplace in the family’s Canfield home.

“This is a great country,” he said. “Anyone can accomplish anything they want to do.”