A small group of advocates gathered outside the US federal courthouse in San Diego, California, on Thursday to protest the detention of Benito Miranda Hernandez, a US Navy veteran who served three tours in the Iraq war. Hernandez is currently held in an immigration detention facility facing deportation.

Brought to the US from Mexico as an infant, Hernandez was promised citizenship through military service. However, after completing a years-long sentence for a drug conviction, he was immediately detained by ICE agents on June 14. His mother, Maria Miranda, spent hours searching for him.

Advocates report a rise in deportations of US veterans under the Trump administration. James Smith, founder of Black Deported Veterans of America, stated: “These men and women were promised citizenship if they served. The government is failing to take accountability.”

The New York Times reported in March that at least 34 veterans have been placed in deportation proceedings in the past year. Many suffer from mental health issues after service, making them vulnerable to criminal justice involvement.

Hernandez’s mother described his depression: “He said, ‘I don’t want to cause you any more problems. I’m doing things right.’ They clipped the wings of a bird and threw all his hopes in the trash.” Several bills to protect immigrant veterans are pending in Congress, but recruiters continue to target immigrant communities with promises of expedited citizenship.

Source: www.aljazeera.com