Mother of Jepsy Amaga Kallungi denied visa for the fourth time ahead of daughter’s murder trial
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Over three years since Jepsy Amaga Kallungi went missing, her ex-husband Dane Kallungi is set to go on trial for her murder. October 5, he will be on trial for killing Kallungi, after an affidavit released in June 2021 revealed he confessed to his ex-wife that he killed Kallungi and hid her body.
Her mother Margie Amaga, a current resident of Hong Kong, is grieving from afar after she was informed that her fourth visa application to come to the United States was denied Wednesday night.
"Last night, she just bawled," said Britney Hartman, the owner of Justice Takes Flight. "She just cried. It just broke her heart that we've tried so many times, and she just keeps getting denied. All she wants to do is come here and help support her Jepsy."
Hartman connected with the family soon after Jepsy's disappearance, when Amaga reached out asking for help. Since that moment, Hartman has been in constant communication with Amaga, helping her with her visa applications and attending each court hearing.
"It just, it tears me up," said Hartman. "And then to know that there's this mom across the world who is just trying and fighting every day, not just to survive because her daughter was horrifically taken from her, but now she has to fight tooth and nail to just be able to go to her trial."
Amaga submitted her first visa application in 2019, hoping to come to the United States when Jepsy was declared missing. Hartman said she wanted to be a part of the search.
"She sends pictures asking if I could I go to that place and maybe see if Jepsy could be there, especially earlier in the investigation," said Hartman.
She submitted three more applications this year but, was denied on the grounds that she couldn't prove she didn't have intent to flee to the United States permanently from Hong Kong.
Amber Blasingame, a Colorado Springs immigration attorney, says that is the most common reason for non-immigration visas to be denied.
"It could be something like the applicant has an immediate family member that lives in the United States, or maybe they previously overstayed a visit to the United States, or they don't show enough ties to their home country to prove that they are going to be returning to their home country," said Blasingame.
The pre-trial is scheduled for September 19, 2022, and the trial is scheduled for October 5, 2022.
