Tsolak Yeghishyan survived a deadly earthquake in his home country of Armenia, wrestled in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and became a father four months ago. The only thing Yeghishyan says he hasn’t accomplished is becoming an American citizen.
Now, the backlog of security and background checks for people who want to become naturalized could ruin Yeshisyan’s last chance to qualify for the U.S. National Wrestling Team and compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
“I appreciate national security,” Yeghishyan said in an interview Tuesday. “I am glad that they are doing their job, but I feel like I am a suspect.”
Yeghishyan, 36, who lives in Colorado Springs, last week filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver asking a judge to expedite his naturalization process.
Yeghishyan’s burly, tough exterior begins to soften when he describes the most important reason he has to become a citizen – his wife, Lilit, and their newborn daughter, Helena, are in Armenia.
Yeghishyan can’t bring them to the U.S. until he becomes a citizen because the process for bringing spouses to this country is years longer for people who are only legal residents with a green card.
“This is not about me and my wife anymore,” he said, holding back tears. “The baby has to hear my words every single day. I cannot be away from them. Everything I do is about her now.”
Yeghishyan came to America in 1996 and became a legal resident in 1999.
He calls himself the “best cabdriver in the solar system” and says many of his fares have offered to write letters in support.
He applied for naturalization in April 2004.
The FBI must conduct a background and security check on Yeghishyan before he can become a citizen, but it has not been completed.
He said there is nothing criminal or suspicious in his background that should prevent him from being naturalized. “I have a perfect-plus record,” he said.
Yeghishyan passed all the civics testing required of him, and he taught himself English by watching television and reading books.
The athlete is used to beating the odds. He lost a thumb while rebuilding his family’s home after the earthquake and still managed to wrestle.
Yeghishyan knows he’s getting too old to qualify for the Olympics, but he’s convinced he can make the team. The team trials take place in June.
Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services, said she could not comment on Yeghishyan’s case.
Garcia-Upson said delays happen when an applicant has a questionable background or someone with a similar name has a background that is holding up the process.
Only 1 percent of cases have years-long delays. Most applications take six to eight months, Garcia-Upson said.
“Ninety-nine percent of the cases go through without a problem,” she said. “We are in talks with the highest level at the FBI and Homeland Security to see what we can do to process all of these applications.”
Yeghishyan said he can’t try out for the U.S. wrestling team if he is not an American – and he is running out of time.
“He would like to compete one more time, if that’s possible,” said his attorney, Beverly Oserow. “It might be his last chance, given his age.”
Yeghishyan placed ninth at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, when he was on the Armenian wrestling team.
“He trained with us at the training center, and he was a good training partner,” said Steve Fraser, national Greco-Roman coach of the U.S. wrestling team. “He’s a good-quality, tough guy.”
Fraser said he doesn’t know whether Yeghishyan would qualify for the team now, but when Yeghishyan competed in Atlanta, he was considered one of the top 10 wrestlers in the world.
“In his prime, he was very, very good,” Fraser said. “He did not win a medal, but he was good.”
Yeghishyan is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Sept. 21 for a status hearing on his case.
“The only option we had was to file an action in federal court,” Oserow said. “He did it with great reluctance. I think he just wants to comply with the system and follow the rules and do it the right way.”
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
