President Donald Trump's second administration has overseen the deportation of at least 675,000 individuals since January, intensifying concerns among immigrant veterans who served in the U.S. military that they could be removed. This aggressive enforcement, intended to target "the worst of the worst" according to administration officials, has inadvertently placed many non-citizen service members at risk. Benito Miranda Hernandez, an Iraq war veteran, fears his past drug convictions could lead to his expulsion from the country he defended.
Benito Miranda Hernandez, a 42-year-old father, stands in a guard booth, waving cars into an overnight car park in San Diego. His current role is part of a reentry program, helping former prisoners transition back into society. This offers a path forward.
Hernandez has spent years navigating the criminal justice system, primarily due to drug convictions. His sentence is scheduled to conclude in August. Despite his efforts to rebuild his life, a profound anxiety persists: the possibility of detention by immigration agents and subsequent deportation. military veteran, lacks American citizenship.
He worries about simple daily activities. "Just walking on the street, just walking out of the programme where I'm at, I can get picked up," he told Al Jazeera. Since assuming office for his second term in 2025, President Trump has initiated a wide-ranging deportation campaign. The administration's own estimates confirm the forcible removal of at least 675,000 people by January.
While officials state the operation aims to expel dangerous individuals, this broad approach has created apprehension among immigrant veterans, especially those with prior criminal records. The prospect of deportation incenses Hernandez, who was born in Mexico. "I was willing to die for this f***ing country," Hernandez stated, his voice tight with frustration. "I went to war for this f***ing country. And you want to try to deport me?"
Hernandez arrived in the U.S. as an infant with his mother and has lived most of his life within its borders. His three children are all U.S. citizens. This makes his potential removal particularly painful.
As of 2022, nearly 731,000 military veterans in the United States were immigrants, comprising approximately 4.5 percent of the nation's total veteran population. Most of these individuals hold citizenship. However, an estimated 118,000 immigrant veterans, like Hernandez, do not. military has historically relied on immigrants to supplement its ranks, especially during periods of declining enlistment.
These individuals have served alongside U.S.-born citizens for decades. For many, military service offered a clear path. Hernandez enlisted after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
A recruiter at his California high school convinced him to join. He was only 18. The appeal of structure, purpose, and a stable income was strong. "I was trying to make a difference, trying to defend the land that was supposed to be my country – that adopted me," he recalled.
Hernandez completed three tours of duty in Iraq, serving on the USS Kearsarge LHD-3, an amphibious assault group in the U.S. Navy. His initial deployment began when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.
During his first deployment aboard the ship, he submitted his application for citizenship. The process should have been swift. Then-President George W.
Bush had promised to expedite naturalization applications for active-duty service members during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a recruitment incentive. Yet, for Hernandez and many others, naturalization was delayed. immigration system has long experienced bottlenecks. Stricter background checks implemented after the September 11 attacks further slowed services.
Two years passed after his final deployment before Hernandez received a call for his citizenship interview in 2006. By that time, he already had a criminal conviction for drug possession. Because he was no longer in military service, his expedited naturalization case was denied.
Many veterans struggle to reintegrate into civilian life after their service concludes. Hernandez faced significant challenges. Shortly after returning from deployment, he was jailed on illegal gun charges.
Upon his release weeks later, he discovered his apartment had been evicted, and all his belongings, including military memorabilia, had been confiscated. "I came out with nothing," he told Al Jazeera. With limited alternatives, he turned to selling drugs, which led to multiple convictions and repeated stints in prison. Without U.S. citizenship, and burdened by a criminal record, the threat of deportation became very real.
His experience is not unusual. Roughly one-third of all veterans are arrested at least once in their lifetimes. Surveys indicate that as many as 181,500 veterans are imprisoned each year.
Many veterans grapple with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorders, and substance abuse issues, conditions that can contribute to criminal offenses. Accurate figures on how many U.S. veterans have been deported remain elusive. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is mandated to report the veteran status of individuals in deportation proceedings, granting them additional consideration in their cases.
However, a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that ICE was not consistently collecting this essential information. Veteran deportations are not a new phenomenon. Advocates point to 1996 as a critical year when deportations of non-citizen veterans saw a notable increase.
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, passed that year, significantly broadened the definition of deportable offenses to include nonviolent crimes like wire fraud and various drug offenses. This legislation is estimated to have led to the deportation of thousands of veterans. President Barack Obama's administration, from 2009 to 2017, also oversaw an aggressive campaign, with more than 3.1 million deportations during his eight years in office.
President Trump has vowed to surpass that total. Instead, she attributes them to indiscriminate immigration enforcement. "They're just getting deported the way people are getting deported, period," Aptekar explained. "Because we have this ramping up of a brutal deportation regime, veterans are going to be caught up in that." This perspective indicates a systemic issue. The broader enforcement net catches many individuals, including those who served the nation.
Advocates and politicians have proposed various solutions to protect immigrant veterans from deportation. In 2021, the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative (IMMVI) was established. This program aimed to identify deported veterans and facilitate their return to the U.S. through pathways such as humanitarian parole.
However, IMMVI faced criticism for its limited scope. Humanitarian parole offers only temporary relief. The program has facilitated the return of just 138 deported veterans so far. "To me, that's not a measure of success," Aptekar commented.
Under the current Trump administration, even the small possibility of repatriation has diminished. Advocates report that access to humanitarian parole has been restricted. Immigration agencies are also facing staffing shortages. "Your application just kind of sits there because they're not processing them," explained Margaret Stock, an immigration lawyer who received a MacArthur Fellowship for her work on service member policies. "Officially, they still have the benefit, and officially, you can still apply for it.
It's just if you apply, you don't hear anything. You don't even get an email back most of the time." This lack of processing effectively closes a pathway. For other deported veterans, the demands of military life itself created impediments to navigating the immigration system.
Edwin Salgado, an Iraq war veteran, began his naturalization process during his enlistment. from Acapulco, Mexico, at age three. In 2003, Salgado was deployed to Kuwait under Operation Iraqi Freedom. He missed a crucial fingerprinting appointment. "That basically put a hold on the whole process," he stated.
In 2015, Salgado was incarcerated on drug and gun sales charges. Upon his release one year and one day later, he was transferred directly to immigration detention. He was deported within weeks. "Thank you for your service, but you’re a danger to society," Salgado recalls an immigration judge telling him.
Now a 44-year-old tattoo and graffiti artist, he has spent years rebuilding his life in Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego. He has abandoned attempts to return to the U.S. "In the Marines, they told us to leave no man behind," Salgado reflected. "But we’ve been left behind." Being cut off from the U.S. carries significant disadvantages. While deported veterans technically remain eligible for Veterans Affairs benefits, they frequently encounter insurmountable obstacles in accessing care.
Some medical conditions, for instance, necessitate in-person evaluations at VA centers. Finding alternative screenings can be very difficult. Salgado himself struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and hearing loss.
Art provides him with a coping mechanism. "It makes me strong," he said. "It's like a form of defiance against the government, against the world, while I'm keeping the smile on my face." On April 17, Salgado received news that his criminal convictions were vacated. He now hopes this development will allow him to return to the U.S. to obtain medical care and visit his family. The broader significance of these deportations extends to national values and the treatment of those who serve.
The ethical dilemma of expelling individuals who risked their lives for the country raises questions about fairness and loyalty. Families are torn apart. The financial and emotional toll on deported veterans, often struggling with health issues, is immense.
This policy impacts communities. It also affects the perception of military service for future immigrant generations. Hernandez knows he could also be deported across the border, separated from his children and vital veterans' resources.
Last October, he visited an immigration office in San Diego to register his fingerprints. He did not go alone. A group of veterans, organized by formerly deported veteran Hector Barajas, accompanied him. "They were like, ‘Yeah, we want to be there.
Don't worry. We got you,’" Hernandez recounted. The Department of Homeland Security has since approved his application for a green card, granting him permanent residency.
Hernandez awaits its arrival in the mail. However, even permanent residency offers no absolute shield against deportation. "I know my place in the United States is not guaranteed," he stated. "A green card, it's not going to save you from deportation. So it's still over my head." He firmly believes veterans should not face deportation after serving the U.S.
Hernandez intends to pursue every available avenue to obtain U.S. citizenship, including vacating his earlier convictions. He wishes to remain with his three children. "I want to see them grow," he explained. "I don’t want it to be like, ‘Well, my dad was an immigrant and got deported because he f***ed up.’ OK? I'm a citizen, just like you."
Key Takeaways: - President Trump's mass deportation campaign has already removed 675,000 individuals, creating fear among non-citizen immigrant veterans. - Approximately 118,000 immigrant veterans lack U.S. citizenship, leaving them vulnerable to deportation, especially with past convictions. - Delays in naturalization processes and changes in immigration law have historically contributed to veterans facing deportation proceedings. - Programs designed to help deported veterans return have proven largely ineffective due to restrictions and processing backlogs. Looking ahead, the legal battles for veterans like Hernandez and Salgado will continue. Hernandez will push to vacate his convictions, hoping to secure his citizenship and prevent family separation.
Salgado's recently vacated convictions offer a glimmer of hope for his return to the U.S. Observers will watch how the administration's deportation policies evolve. The question of how the U.S. treats its non-citizen veterans, and whether legislative or policy changes emerge to protect them, remains a central point of contention for advocates and lawmakers.
Key Takeaways
— - President Trump's mass deportation campaign has already removed 675,000 individuals, creating fear among non-citizen immigrant veterans.
— - Approximately 118,000 immigrant veterans lack U.S. citizenship, leaving them vulnerable to deportation, especially with past convictions.
— - Delays in naturalization processes and changes in immigration law have historically contributed to veterans facing deportation proceedings.
— - Programs designed to help deported veterans return have proven largely ineffective due to restrictions and processing backlogs.
Source: Al Jazeera
