Alex Murillo salutes an American flag. (Courtesy of Alex Murillo) My family expected me home, but that s not what happened. Instead, I was exiled for the rest of my life, Murillo said. (Courtesy of Alex Murillo)
Six months after Robert Vivar was deported to Mexico, he was searching for a way to adjust and became involved with deported veterans. (Courtesy of Robert Vivar)
(Courtesy of José Francisco López) It s very painful. And I mean, I m still, it s still it s fresh. This happened four years ago, and when that happened it s like it just happened yesterday, you know? (Courtesy of Iván Ocón)
US veterans deported to Mexico want Biden to let them back into their country before cartels get to them Luis Chaparro Deported US Marine Corps veteran Richard Avila at the US-Mexico border during a July 4th gathering on the beach at Playas de Tijuana, July 4, 2017. For thousands of US veterans who have been deported to Mexico, the strain of being separated from their home is compounded by threats from criminal groups that seek them out for their military training. The election of President Joe Biden has given some of those veterans renewed hope that there will be a chance to return, but for others who have already restarted their lives, that hope comes too late.
By Alexandra Mendoza
California Governor Jerry Brown issued pardons to three veterans who had been deported to Mexico, thus opening the door for them to pursue legal action for their eventual return to the U.S.
The Governor granted 72 Easter pardons, including for former Marines Marco Antonio Chavez and Erasmo Apodaca, and former Army soldier Hector Barajas, who after their time in uniform were convicted of crimes and deported.
“Every day I have dreamed of returning to the country I love,” shared former Army paratrooper Hector Barajas, founder and director of the Deported Veteran Support House in Tijuana, Mexico. “We have taken a huge step forward for deported veterans and their families,” he added.