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NEWS  BYTES
Three leaders of a church in Maryland have been allowed to withdraw their guilty pleas to charges of alien smuggling and will be tried later this year.  They initially pled guilty because the judge did not allow them to present their defense that churches should not be subject to immigration laws.  Their appeal was granted with the appellate court ruling that the trial judge should allow them to present their defense.  
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Naum Falkovich, an immigrant from Ukraine who suffered radiation poisoning as a result of his work in cleaning up the Chernobyl nuclear, reactor became a US citizen one day before his death.  Falkovich died of cancer, which his family thinks was caused by his work at Chernobyl.  He was to have participated in a mass naturalization ceremony this week, but because of his illness was hospitalized and not able to attend.  The INS expedited the paperwork and presented him with his certificate of naturalization in the hospital. 
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Two Cuban doctors who defected in Zimbabwe have been granted US refugee status.  The doctors were part of a Cuban sponsored medical mission to Zimbabwe.  Their case gained international attention after Zimbabwe security officers kidnapped them after they announced their intent to defect.  It is not known when the doctors will arrive in the US.
 
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