Strict enforcement of immigration laws has created a schnitzel and spaetzle shortage in the Arizona White Mountains hamlet of Nutrioso. Friends of German nationals Joerg and Beate Bohlig and patrons of their shuttered German restaurant, Cafe Beate, are up in arms over the State Department's refusal to renew the couple's visas. Friends are far between on the sparsely populated eastern end of the White Mountains in Apache County, which boasts a population of 6.2 people per square mile. A decent restaurant is even more precious. Nutrioso, population 222, has one other and it's open "sporadically," according to resident Penny Chipman. The Bohligs' gourmet German and European fare attracted diners from nearby towns and from the tonier tourist towns of Arizona Rim Country to the west. The couple had been living in Nutrioso for 10 years and had operated Cafe Beate for eight of them, living here under an E-2 visa, which was issued in 1998 and renewed in 2003. The E-2 is colloquially called the "millionaire's visa." Its purpose is to "stimulate investment and economic activity by foreigners in the United States," said Steve Royster, spokesman for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. State Department. When Beate Bohlig flew to Germany for a visit with an ailing sister in January, the couple was in the process of renewing the visa for another five years. That application was turned down, and she was not allowed to board a plane back to the States. Joerg Bohlig returned to Germany in February for a visa interview with the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, thinking he could straighten matters out. "We were sent away like stupid schoolkids," he wrote in a letter to his friends in Arizona. Now both Bohligs are stuck in Germany. Ultimately, the Bohligs were sent a form letter telling them their application had been turned down because, "You failed to demonstrate that the investment is more than a marginal one solely for earning a living." The Bohligs' lawyer, Gerd Zimmermann, and their neighbors in Nutrioso, argue that the definition of "marginal" is a good deal different in Apache County than it is elsewhere. The county ranks among the poorest in America, said Kristi Zieler, aide to Apache County Supervisor David Brown. Its median household income of $26,592 compares unfavorably to the state of Arizona ($43,696) and the country ($44,334). Nutrioso has little economic activity, said Zieler. "There is no industry there. There are no retail stores. It is a very small mountain town. The restaurant is about the only economic activity going," Zieler said. Supervisor Brown said he's eaten at Cafe Beate. "It's a great restaurant and as far as the county goes, we don't have many of those to start with." Brown said he would consider it "a significant investment anywhere in Arizona." Brown said he did not know the details of the Bohligs' immigration problems and hadn't formed an opinion, though he said it "doesn't seem fair." Penny Chipman, who operates Arizona Mountain Fly Fishing in Nutrioso with her husband, Chip, said the economic impact of the Bohligs' restaurant is huge, by local standards. "There is not much up here and even a little trickle-down is phenomenal." She said the restaurant draws customers from Alpine, 8 miles away, and from the resort village of Greer, 35 miles away, as well as from nearby New Mexico towns. Tucsonans Joe and Lou Bagnara, who spend summer months in Greer, wrote a letter in support of the Bohligs' application. Lou Bagnara said on the phone that the restaurant is made special by the Bohligs. They remember their customers' birthdays and anniversaries, and they make a great Jaeger Schnitzel (veal with mushrooms). "These people are an asset to the whole mountain community," said Bagnara. Zimmermann, who is helping the Bohligs seek reconsideration of their application, is collecting letters from neighbors and patrons and from elected officials in Apache County and beyond. Royster said State Department officials cannot comment on individual visa applications. He said the standard for an E-2 visa is "substantial investment in an economic enterprise." "There is no hard-and-fast dollar amount, but the investment should be substantial," he said. Decisions about what that means "are up to the officers who review the application," he said. Zimmermann said he hopes to convince officials in Frankfurt that the Bohligs' investment in Nutrioso is substantial. He said it exceeds $500,000, including the purchase of the building and grounds for $250,000 eight years ago, and extensive remodeling to create the restaurant and an adjoining bed-and breakfast room. Chipman said residents of the region have adopted the cause of the Bohligs. The big fir tree in front of the Nutrioso post office is festooned with ribbons, she said, and folks in nearby Luna, N.M., have begun tying ribbons to a tree there. Chipman misses the cuisine and misses having somewhere to send her clients for dinner, but, "It's more than that - these are friends and neighbors," she said. E-mail Tom Beal at tbeal(at)azstarnet.com.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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