Dr Guan Choo Lee, 41, a member of the Autumn Ridge Church, was reported to have left her unnamed Malaysian village as a teenager to earn a medical degree and build a practice in the city.
According to The Post-Bulletin, a newspaper in southern Minnesota, the US government could deport her to Malaysia next week.
It said her advocates see such an outcome as being a grave injustice as the naturopathic physician had not only made a life for herself in Rochester, but had also helped to save lives.
“She has helped so many individuals as a doctor,” it quoted Vicki Blazing, a city resident, as saying.
“She just has complete passion to help anybody, whether they have the means or not. I think that’s really important that we need that.”
The petition initiated by Blazing urged the government not to deport Lee. Supporters have also sought to enlist the help of US House of Representatives member Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar for the cause, the report said.
Her attorney Malee Ketelsen-Renner said Lee was apparently about to become a US citizen in 2009, having undergone a background check, and passed her English and civics exam.
However she received a letter from immigration authorities denying her application for citizenship, and a notice that deportation proceedings would begin against her, Ketelsen-Renner said.
The Post-Bulletin also quoted Shawn Neudauer, public affairs officer for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office (ICE) as saying that Lee has no more options but to depart the country.
“Guan Choo Lee is a citizen of Malaysia who entered the U.S. legally in 1992, but overstayed her lawful visit by several years,” he was quoted as saying.
“In the years since, she has pursued several avenues of relief, but ultimately exhausted each. She was granted voluntary departure by a federal immigration judge in 2011, but failed to leave, automatically changing that grant to a final order of removal (deportation order).
“Since then, in an act of discretion, ICE has granted her several stays of removal and has not placed her in custody.
“However, if she fails to comply with the removal order to leave the US, she will be listed as an ICE fugitive, subject to arrest and removal, in accordance with US law,” he added.
Lee was quoted as saying that whatever happens, she had put her faith in God.
“I put all these hopes in the Lord that something good will come, no matter what,” she said.
“I want to tell the whole United States that I’m really grateful. All these years, even though I’m going through a lot, but I’m still here. I just want to give back.”