Two U.S. Army veterans who were deported to Mexico won their long legal battle to return to the United States and become U.S. citizens.
Mauricio Hernandez Mata, 41, is a father to five children. He served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2006, some of his missions included battles in Afghanistan.
When he left the service, he expected to be granted U.S. citizenship. Instead, he was deported to Mexico after he ran into legal trouble. Hector Barajas, founder of the group Deported Veterans Support House – says it’s not uncommon for veterans like Hernandez-Mata, who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, to do things that result in deportation, despite their military status.
Immigration
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Hernandez Mata is the first to admit his mistakes.
“I had so many other things on my mind. Like trying to figure out who I was. The young man that left, didn’t come home. None of the young men that left came home," he said.
Hernandez Mata is among 65 people who have been allowed back into the United States over the past year as part of a growing effort by the Biden administration called the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative. The initiative supports non-citizen service members, deported veterans, and their immediate family members in order to ensure they receive entitled benefits, such as pathways to naturalization and immigration services.
“There comes a point in time where you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t. Thanks to a lot of other good people, they could, and they kept me on track. This is a validation of hard work, dedication, and American values.”
Jennie Pasquarella, director of immigrants' rights, for the ACLU has been working on Hernandez Mata’s case since 2016. She says most deported vets don’t have access to legal help. “It was very long, and it was very arduous. There were many steps along the way to get here.”
Hernandez Mata’s 7-year-old daughter and wife were among those present at his swearing-in ceremony.
“This changes everything for me, “he said. “I get to enjoy watching my family and I get to live the American dream that so many young men and I fought for.”
Since 2002, Immigration Services has naturalized more than 158,000 members of the U.S. military, both at home and abroad. In fiscal year 2022, more than 10,600 service members were naturalized.
