Ready for w*r (2019)

[bunniefuu]

This is a prepaid call from...

Miguel Perez.

An inmate

at the Kenosha County

Detention Center.

I didn't come home

from Afghanistan.

I never came home.

The person that left

never came home.

Something else came home.

And, uh...

You know, how am I supposed

to die, man?

What am I--what is supposed

to become of my life, you know?

You live by the sword,

you wanna die by the sword.

I struggled everyday just to...

just to feel human, man.

suspenseful music

suspenseful music

I wouldn't say

that I hate the US.

No, I don't. I don't.

I served the US with pride

and I would've given

my life for them.

But now that I'm here,

this is a living hell.

Cartel knows that soldiers

are valuable here.

We got skills.

Who taught you

those skills?

The army.

suspenseful music

Well, we're basically

looking for people that are...

selling men, you know,

to find out where

they're getting them from.

And then once we know that,

then we make a whole operation,

we'd break that down.

We take care of everyone

that's in there.

They've come from Sinaloa.

Men was supposed to come here

and then go across the border.

Now they're selling them here.

That's basically

why the w*r is going on.

It's getting stronger.

That's why there

are so many killings.

suspenseful music

So last year,

we took care

of about 200 men,

gunned down.

If you don't have

permission to sell that,

you can't be selling it.

We just wipe them out.

No mercy.

suspenseful music

Hey, what's up?

The deported

US m*llitary veterans--

it almost sounds like an

oxymoron, but believe it or not,

a large number of former

m*llitary servicemen

and women have been deported.

A law dating back to President

Bill Clinton's administration

allows the federal government

to deport any non-citizen

who commits certain crimes,

even some minor crimes.

Now, this applies even if

they've served in the m*llitary.

Many vets we talked

with told us

they were promised citizenship

by their recruiters

and others told us

that they thought

they became citizens when they

took oath to join the m*llitary.

The battle against

deportation continues

for an army veteran

living in Chicago.

Private First Class

Miguel Perez Jr. entered the US

as a legal permanent resident.

He was later convicted

of a nonviolent drug charge,

which is grounds

for deportation.

After serving

almost eight years in prison,

ICE immediately took Perez

into custody.

He is truly

a wounded warrior,

a young man

who served our country,

who suffered from

two traumatic brain injuries.

Call on ICE,

on the US Government,

on our elected officials,

our senators,

and representatives

to release him.

I'm the mother of a hero.

My son is my hero.

I'm very strong...

like my son.

Thank you for your support.

Well, Miguel Perez

is a case where he ends up

being given parole

for good conduct.

I think he finishes a college

degree while he's in prison,

you know,

turned his life around.

He thought he was going

to walk out of prison

and go home and start

his life all over,

but instead, he ends up

spending another couple years

in prison with ICE.

I've been very proud

to serve the m*llitary

and was wounded

in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I ended up losing

both my legs and...

a lot of the function

of my right arm

and spent a year

recovering at Walter Reed.

It was at Walter Reed that

I became a veteran's advocate.

So, most Americans

would be surprised to know

that we deport veterans

because they'd be surprise

to know

that we actually have people

who served this nation

in uniform,

who swear that they would

lay down their lives

to protect our freedom,

who are not yet citizens,

who are green card holders,

or are permanent

legal residents.

These folks would not be

deported had they been granted

their American citizenship

in the first place.

So, we now have a population

in places like Tijuana

of American veterans,

who are still deserving

veterans benefits

but who can't get access

to them and who can't even

come back in the country

that they defended.

Hello?

- Hi, Daddy.

-Hi. What are you doing?

Well, today was

my first day of school.

I saw those pictures.

Yeah, that's beautiful.

How do you like school today?

Good.

Are you playing your games?

-Yeah.

-What are you playing?

I'm doing good in school.

I finished my homework already

at the afterschool program.

That's good. I miss you.

I miss you, too.

I'm glad you had fun

this weekend.

Pretty soon, I'll be out there

eventually, right?

Dear Hector,

it's been a long road.

You're 40 years old.

You were born in Mexico

and came

from a farming community

in Zacatecas.

You came to the US

at the age of seven.

You had the opportunity

to live the American dream.

As you got older and your

parents made the decision

to move to Compton, California,

things changed.

You were sometimes bullied and

your family was discriminated.

You eventually decided

to get away

and made one of the best

decisions in your life.

You joined the US m*llitary

for many reasons.

You wanted to get away

from the neighborhood

that you were growing up in,

promise of citizenship,

promise of an education

and a career,

most important, serving

your country being a GI Joe.

The first jump was scary.

I clearly remember the opening

of the canopy

and looking up

at the beautiful sky.

You hit the ground

like a sack of potatoes.

The night jump was beautiful.

Eventually, you were chaptered

with an honorable discharge.

You started having issues

with dr*gs and alcohol.

You put yourself

in a position where

somebody fired a w*apon and you

ended up going to prison.

You're supposed to parole

till Immigration picks you up.

This can't be.

You served in the m*llitary.

How could they deport you?

You have a beautiful daughter

that you can't be with.

She is the most important thing

in your life.

I can't blame anybody

but myself.

I put myself in the situation.

I put myself

in the circumstances.

I don't blame God.

I made bad decisions,

but at the end of the day,

I still consider myself

an American, a patriot.

I will keep fighting

to go home.

I'm proud of my service.

I wouldn't take it back.

And if I had to do it

all over again,

I would serve my country

and put my life on the line.

You've been doing good.

It's been 13 years since

you've been in prison,

hoping one day you would live

the American dream.

dramatic music

It's an upside-down flag,

which if you're in the

m*llitary, it's distress

or we're being overrun

or we need help.

Deported in 2004,

Hector Barajas runs a shelter

here in Tijuana

nicknamed The Bunker

where deported veterans

can get help

with job prospects,

immigration advice,

and legal service.

You know, the support house

is another animal in itself.

It's very difficult to work

with some of the guys.

It's a big responsibility--

getting the bills paid,

getting the guys going.

It's very difficult.

Very difficult.

I've had some very difficult

people to work with.

We are--we are very difficult

people to work with.

Today, we have

some special visitors.

One of our deported veterans

who's a Navy veteran,

Juan Llamas,

actually knows

how to work with prosthetics.

And today, they're gonna get

an impression on his foot.

So we're gonna see

what they can do for Jaime.

Like we said,

we're gonna make him walk.

You know, I do enjoy it,

especially when I see guys

doing good.

Like, they get their jobs.

They get their own place.

And that's when you're like,

you know, it's worth it.

Everything that you go through.

So, Fernando Orozco,

who's a deported veteran,

is also a barber,

and he's gonna be doing

free haircuts, and today--

so we squared him away

with some clippers

and some scissors

and all the equipment

that he's gonna need for--

to do some haircuts.

And his first guinea pig

is his brother,

who is also a deported veteran,

and both of them served

in South Korea,

so we're gonna--

Let's see how it's going down.

There we go.

He's getting a mushroom look

over here.

My commitment

is to help these guys out,

and that's what I've been

trying to do.

You know, at end of the day,

at least they could say,

"I had a place to stay,"

you know. That's--

And that's better than

anything, you know?

Hector is the...

quintessential story

of America.

This is someone

who came to this country,

who wanted a better life.

This is someone who is willing

to die for this country,

who served this country.

This is someone

who made mistakes,

who admits his mistakes,

who owns

and takes accountability

for his mistakes.

I don't think

there is a better tale

of what makes America great

than the tale

of Hector Barajas.

We know how to make

a difference.

We know how to drive change.

You know, yesterday

was a perfect reflection

when we talked about two years

ago I was approached by a group,

and they said, "We have this

issue of deported vets."

And I said, "No, no.

You got bad information.

You can't deport a veteran."

Because I was

in the Marine Corps,

and I remember

the naturalization services.

I said, "You do one day

of m*llitary service,

you get citizenship."

I didn't know that

we had systematically failed

to fulfill that commitment.

Think about the psychological

impact of being--

You were willing to--

you loved this country enough,

you were willing to die

for this country,

and you come home,

and you're struggling,

and that country kicks you out.

And we said,

"That's not enough.

We've got to do better.

We can do better."

One category of veterans

who are primarily white

and happen to have been

born here,

when they lose their way

and commit an offense,

we have a veterans' court,

and we have treatment,

and we have diversion programs.

But for that other category

of veterans

who wore the same uniforms,

who slept in the same mud,

who fought in the same battles,

for that category of veterans,

we have diversion treatment

as well.

We divert you back to a country

that you may or may not know.

You know, there are

so many different reasons

why this situation is horrific

and is intolerable,

but another one

is as simple as the fact

that we can't export those

who we've trained

at the highest levels

to be effective

in combat situations

to environments where they're

prone to be recruited into

things that would be detrimental

to the--to the United States.

They're the first ones

that the drug lords

and the cartels will prey on.

suspenseful music

I grew up...

as an American

in my youngster years.

I was raised in El Paso.

Got there when

I was 10 years old.

I joined the services because

I wanted respect for myself,

for my family. I wanted

something to be proud of.

I needed some discipline

in my life,

and so I joined the Army.

We were proud, you know.

We were helping people.

We were good soldiers,

and all of a sudden,

things just changed for me

dramatically.

I got into some trouble.

I committed an as*ault on

another dude for shitty stuff,

which it was--

it was a necklace.

And the government

just threw me out.

Being here in Jurez,

I wasn't used to the life here.

I missed the US.

When I got here back in 2010,

it was--

it was like a horror movie.

I was alone.

And--because of all that

I left in the US,

it hit me.

It hit me hard.

Part of the cartels,

they have their own lieutenants.

We can say it's a type

of like a lieutenant.

Now these people,

they're ruthless.

They're cold.

They don't care.

They have no respect for life,

women, kids.

It don't matter.

And they said

not only you will be k*lled.

Your family,

your mother, your father,

your brothers,

everyone will be k*lled.

I felt it was necessary

for me to do this,

to stay alive.

So now I have to face

my reality.

I'm on the other side now.

Well, usually

every two or three weeks,

they gather a group of people

and I train them.

We're out in the desert.

I'm training people to k*ll.

suspenseful music

v*olence

is a very precious resource

for criminal organizations.

It's a valuable resource.

It's a resource

that can be exploited.

If you don't want...

drug cartels to have

m*llitary training,

but you are creating a scenario

where they could.

Well, Mexico is now

the second deadliest country

in the world

after only Syria, Shannon.

While they're in a civil w*r,

Mexico's v*olence is attributed

to only one thing-- dr*gs.

My name is Michael Vigil.

I was with the Drug Enforcement

Administration for 31 years.

Worked undercover

extensively in Mexico.

I was the chief

of international operations

and, therefore, responsible

for all DEA operations

outside the continental

United States.

The w*r between Jurez

and the Sinaloa Cartel

rages on.

And Jurez has become

one of the most violent

and deadly cities in the world.

dramatic music

Mexico saw a record

2,186 murders in May,

30% more than last year

and the most in two decades.

The capture of former Sinaloa

Cartel leader, El Chapo,

and others, returned,

fueled largely by the US

meth and heroin epidemic.

Jurez is a primary

drug trafficking route

for the Sinaloa Cartel,

for the Jurez Cartel,

because probably about

60% to 70% of the dr*gs

that are smuggled across

into the United States

go through

the Jurez-El Paso corridor.

The Jurez Cartel

has proclaimed

their prohibition

against the use or distribution

of methamphetamine

because that is a market

that is basically cornered

by the Sinaloa Cartel.

Well, the veterans

that are deported into Mexico

are gonna be put in the hands

of a very deadly, deadly enemy.

It's the old saying

of plata o plomo.

You either take our money

or you take our lead

or our b*ll*ts.

They are reluctant individuals

that are put

into a precarious situation

not of their choice.

And I think that

that is a very

deplorable standard

that we have used for people

that really have done

a great job

as soldiers for this country.

So, I want to hear

a little bit

about your childhood.

Did you grow up

as an American?

There's no precedent

that I have seen for them

granting citizenship

back in time,

but we're gonna make it

a precedent.

This will be the first one,

I really believe that,

because it makes sense,

you know.

Let's give him citizenship

like we should have

when he was in basic training,

when he was in jump school,

when he was being trained

as a mechanic,

when he went the first time

to the w*r

and put his life on the line

for the country,

when he went the second time.

And if he is a citizen

back to the time

he went to w*r,

his subsequent crime

after he got back

would have no effect on him.

He'd be allowed to be here.

He'd get out of the jail.

Today, Illinois

US Senator Tammy Duckworth

sent an urgent letter

to the secretary

of Homeland Security

asking the Tr*mp Administration

to stay Perez's deportation

and review his case.

Perez's lawyer says,

"If there's any case to review,

it's that of a veteran

who served two tours of w*r."

I just don't see

any argument about--

well, you come back

damaged from a w*r

and then there's something bad

and you get no breaks,

you get no mercy,

you never can redeem yourself.

That makes no sense.

God bless you. Take care.

This is .

This is where a lot

of the people

that deported they end up at,

and basically people end up

being homeless.

A couple of thousand people,

like, live in this area,

sh**ting up, and, you know.

If you get depressed,

if you go through

all these different issues,

you could end up down here.

So part of our work

is to make sure that these guys

don't end up homeless,

that they don't end up

addicted.

Yeah, you don't want

to end up here.

This is a no-man's-land.

The m*llitary

was very structured for me.

I got out of the m*llitary,

and then transitioning

is very difficult.

Addiction has been one

of the issues

that I've had all my life,

and that's what end up

getting me deported.

Good evening, everybody.

This is Specialist Barajas

down here at the Deported

Veterans Support House.

And I wanna get home

to my daughter hopefully soon.

And hopefully, I'll be

the first deported veteran

to come home as a US citizen.

So, right now, we're

in the process of citizenship,

so hopefully

we should find out

whether I become an American

citizen or not.

I have no expectations,

but I also hope

for the best, you know,

just to, you know, kind of wait

and see what happens.

I have some really,

really, good news.

I--

I'm going to be issued

a interview

for citizenship

within 60 to 90 days,

and I should be back

in the United States pretty soon

to get my interview.

So this is f*cking good news.

Oh, yeah.

I don't want to be here

for another ten years

or five years

and see my daughter

grow up without me.

So I'm hoping

that we get a decision.

I can take her to school

and help her with her homework

and be there for her

when she needs me.

To be honest with you,

I know that I needed her

probably more

than that she needs Dad,

so that's, you know,

it's important for me

to hopefully, you know,

get that chance to be a father

for the second time.

We see the sky

as so much greater

than any wall.

We ask your blessing now

on these families.

We ask your blessing

on all who are separated

from their loved ones.

And we ask, O God,

that you would change hearts,

and change minds

and change laws

that someday the families

of the earth would be reunited.

Hector is the best

possible example

of somebody who has completely

turned his life around--

from a place

where he was really struggling

reintegrating into society

after leaving the m*llitary

to a place

where he is singlehandedly

running a shelter

for deported veterans,

leading really what has become

international advocacy

on this issue, and giving

everything of himself.

But it doesn't

require that either.

We're not requiring sainthood,

you know.

People are able to learn

from their mistakes

and improve their lives.

And we shouldn't be separating

fathers and mothers

from their children

who have lived their whole

lives in the United States,

have fully committed

and invested in this country.

During his next hearing,

his attorney will argue

that the cartels in Mexico

could thr*aten Perez.

They know, you know,

you've got weapons training,

m*llitary training,

you have ins with people

in the United States,

and you're gonna work for us.

In the most perverse way

I've ever seen,

we're actually training people

to then come back

and fight against us.

These folks

are especially vulnerable

to being, um, uh, recruited,

and then by recruited,

I mean, forcibly given a choice

between death

and joining the gangs.

I've looked at a lot

of the deported veterans

that have m*llitary skills

that have basically created

a national security thr*at,

not only for Mexico,

but, you know,

that v*olence has spilled over

into the United States.

Five, six years ago,

you would look at pictures

of, uh,

drug cartel sh**t,

and you would see a dead body

in a wall

with a hundred b*ll*ts

behind that.

Nowadays, you see a dead body

with two sh*ts to the chest

and one in the groin.

That's how m*llitary

members sh**t.

So you have to ask yourself,

who's teaching them to sh**t,

or who is doing the sh**ting?

If someone sends you,

you just have to do it.

If you don't do it,

they're gonna k*ll you.

So it's either you or him.

- No filming.

- All right, stop.

- Uh-huh.

I was anxious. I was nervous.

It's hard

to becoming used to it,

but then,

you also get hooked on it.

Even when you're not

k*lling anyone,

you feel the need

to see that blood, you know?

You feel the need

to k*ll someone.

Once you get used to it,

you get cold, you can't stop.

Well, it was,

like-like, five or six,

after five or six victims,

it's-it's-

it's-it's tough, it's tough.

So I would like

to get out of this, but I can't.

The only way I get out of this

is if I move

to another country.

Even if I stay here in Mexico,

they will find me.

Most of my vets,

you know,

they have psychological issues

and, you know,

they could easily fall back

into addiction

or criminal organization

cartels could target 'em.

I'm trying my best to, uh,

to keep them out of that

and keep them structured.

The Support House

for the last couple of years

has really helped me,

uh, stay focused.

No deported veteran has ever

gone home as a US citizen,

and I wanna be the first one.

I'll tell you right now,

if we're successful

in bringing Hector back,

it is a-a light

in a sea of darkness.

I'm not saying

that the-these vets

didn't-didn't do

what they did.

Uh, and I'm not

even saying the penalty,

which they all already paid--

They already completed

their penalty

for the offense of which

they committed was too great.

What I'm saying

is because of that conviction,

what the federal government did

is the injustice.

And the only way

that we can right that wrong

is by pardoning

the original offense,

because if that original offense

is pardoned,

then their legal status

is restored

and they're eligible

for citizenship.

Um, I'm over here

with Nathan Fletcher,

and, uh, I got a pardon

from the--

from the governor

of California.

Uh, awesome.

-I-I can't talk over here.

So I'm very happy to tell

everybody that I got a pardon

from the State of California,

from the governor.

Oh, my God, this is huge.

- I can, uh--

I can--it--it'll be--

uh, the process will be easier

for me to go home

to my family, so, uh,

I'm just very thankful

and I've been--

uh, uh, uh, I'm just still,

like, uh,

at a loss for words.

You never--

when you were out there

in the States, you never thought

about getting it, or--

Oh, no. yeah, yeah.

Like, I got the Airborne tattoo

in the back,

and the guys keep--

uh, most of the guys I run into

keep thinking

it's Alcoholic Anonymous.

So, we have, um,

received the pardon

from the governor for Hector.

And that should enable him

to naturalize immediately.

There should be no question

about his eligibility

to naturalize.

However, we're seeing

that the government

is just continuing to sit on it

and we're not seeing progress,

and so we're not sure,

you know,

which way it's gonna go,

whether we're gonna have

to take his case

to federal court, um,

or whether the government will

finally move his case along

and issue a decision.

A Chicago w*r veteran

who served two tours

at Afghanistan

is now facing deportation.

Tomorrow, a judge

will decide his fate.

Good?

Everybody good? All right.

- Yeah.

- All right.

So, I was in an interview

this morning with Miguel

and two officers

from Immigration, USCIS.

Um, they basically did

all the regular things

that would happen.

They interviewed him.

Did the citizenship test.

He got every question correct.

- We knew it.

- Yeah.

Uh, and then at the end,

particularly,

Miguel, uh, talked about how--

I thought this was really

poignant. He said, um,

"There's houses

and then there's homes.

There's jobs

and there's careers."

He goes, "I might've

been born in Mexico,

but I'm an American

in my heart."

And he said,

"That's why I served,

that's why

my grandfather served."

And his uncles

served in the m*llitary.

It's nice and warm in this

little huddle

because it's

really cold outside.

But now we're all huddled

in a little corner.

And the first time

I felt this warm

in a little while.

- Right.

- But, Miguel,

we're all praying for you

and we're--

we-we really believe

that it's time

and that they're gonna come up

with a positive decision.

That's how we all feel.

The veterans are all here

for you

and tons of people and press.

You know, we're all waiting

to hear the good news.

Yes.

So I just received

a call from USCIS.

They have a decision to render

to Miguel and myself

in person only.

So they asked me to come down

as soon as possible

and I'm gonna go inside now,

into the lockup,

and we're gonna get

the decision.

God is in charge.

Go in there

and get the job done.

God is in charge.

Miguel Perez, Jr.

Amen, amen, amen.

Whenever you're ready,

let me know.

Um, okay.

So, I was handed, uh,

a decision by the two officers

who interviewed Miguel today.

Um, and it's said

they were denying

his citizenship

based on a lack

of good moral character.

Uh, once again,

the drug conviction.

Uh, so I-I went

and talked to Miguel

and I gave him the bad news.

Um, you know,

he was disappointed, obviously.

But he said,

"I'm not giving up"

or "We're gonna keep fighting."

Just because you're born

in Mexico

doesn't make you

a different kind of soldier.

Your blood is shed

for this country.

This Constitution and this flag.

And we're tired

of the injustice.

And we're gonna continue

to fight.

All they did

was handed me an envelope

with the decision and shook

my hand and walked away.

Maybe, this is

their statement, like,

"Hey, if we can do this

to this guy,

two-time m*llitary vet, you know,

went to w*r,

then nobody's safe, right?"

So it's putting fear into

the whole immigrant community.

All right. Good afternoon,

everybody.

So, uh, I just got a, uh, email

from-from the attorneys.

USCIS has issued me

an official, uh,

appointment for, uh,

citizenship.

But Homeland Security

would not let me cross

to make it happen, so it's a--

it's a bunch of bullshit.

So, uh, I think it's bullshit

that our-our other veterans

recently got denied.

Um,

most of these guys

suffer from PTSD.

They need to be treated

over there.

They need to see doctors.

So, uh, we're not gonna give up.

I'm a little-little pissed off

but... It's all good.

Uh, like we say,

we may have lost the battle,

uh, but we have--

but we haven't lost the w*r.

Uh, you know, as it stands,

the only way

deported veterans can

return home is when they die.

And then Uncle Sam,

uh, the US government,

buries them, pays for their plot

and their VA headstone.

Nobody should have to bury

a loved one

or take them back in a box

like we've had in the past.

I'm very proud

of-of everybody that's here.

All the--all the people

that's supporting our cause,

our families...

And we just wanna make it

home to our families,

that's all.

And I get emotional

because I-I have

a ten-year-old daughter.

I just wanna be back with her.

And I know

that all of you guys,

all the guys have kids,

have mothers, fathers.

Thank you guys

for standing with us.

- Copy.

- Stay here.

I kind of wanna, like, talk

a little bit about this.

Why are you...

Yeah, what's up?

All right.

I'm ready.

Thanks, man.

Why are you cool,

like, doing this?

And, like, why-why are you cool

with us?

I mean, this must be tough.

Well,

the-the main reason

is because some people

might judge me

because of what I've done.

But they don't really know

my life.

You know, people don't know

what I've been through.

And I'm not saying I'm a victim.

I'm not saying that,

but at least I have the guts

to stand up and say what I am.

And--

-And what are you?

-Well,

I'm just like a cleanup guy,

you know.

I clean up the garbage.

And if I'm given

the opportunity here

to provide what I've known,

what I've seen,

what I've been through,

because this is sick.

What goes on here, it's sick.

And there's no other word

for it.

You said

that you were thinking

that you would like to send

your kid to the United States.

Yes, I've been preparing my son

for all this.

You know, I-I have told him that

maybe somebody I won't come back

because it's-

it's risky out there.

It's...

What could you say--

what would you say to your son

if this was your opportunity

to say something?

I'll definitely tell him

to take care of himself,

love his family,

and be good.

To be good,

not to follow my steps,

'cause, uh,

everything around here,

it's dr*gs and death.

There's nothing else,

and I don't want him

to be in my place.

He should be

way better than me,

because I don't feel

like a winner.

Actually, this is more

like a loser.

Being around here,

even though I stand--

I still stand to this day

after five or six years

working for these guys,

and...that doesn't give me

any guarantees

that I'm gonna be alive

in the next couple of years,

maybe, months or even days.

You have a collect call from...

Miguel Perez.

For now, it's too late for Perez

as his deportation is underway.

And he has no family in Mexico,

no money, no clothes,

and his family, and his fear

is when he gets there

that he, uh, will be k*lled

by the cartels.

- Uh-hmm.

- Army veteran

who served two tours

in Afghanistan

has been deported to Mexico.

Miguel Perez was escorted

across the border from Texas

after his application for US

citizenship was denied

because of a drug conviction.

Perez had been living

in the U.S.

since he was eight years old

and has two American-born

children.

They say a home

is where the heart is.

And I used to--uh, what?

That doesn't even make sense.

It makes perfect sense

right now.

Home is where the heart is.

My-my heart is not here.

My safety is not here.

My heart, my son and daughter,

a big part of my heart

are in Chicago.

Uh, the Cubs, the Bears,

big part of my heart in Chicago.

New England, Tom Brady,

and the Patriots, well,

back home.

My father.

Not-not in any particular order

but, uh, you know, then--

they'll be, like, wait a minute,

don't put your--

Tom Brady above your father.

No. It's not--it's just...

No, this could never be home.

- Oh, little cute mousey.

- Uh-huh.

As you guys know,

recently I was denied a visa

and a parole

to go into the United States,

but I've, uh,

been granted the opportunity

to have it at the border.

We're gonna head over

to the border

in about five minutes,

and we're very excited.

We're gonna do what we can.

-Semper fi.

-Get you home, man.

Thanks everybody for being here.

I love you guys,

and nothing is gonna change

what's in my heart,

who I feel, who I am.

I love my country.

I love you guys.

I love my family,

and

we're gonna make it.

All right, everybody,

good afternoon.

So, we're at the Deported

Veteran Support House.

I just came out

from the interview

and I hate to do

the selfie stick, but

I went for my citizenship

interview.

Unfortunately, uh,

because my case

is not the regular textbook

citizenship application,

basically, I'm gonna get

a decision

within a hundred--a hundred

and 20 days.

When I, uh, finished

my interview,

I actually--uh,

I had to go through

the regular lanes

as they come back into Mexico.

So I was, uh, in the United

States territory on the--

on the outside offices

for a couple of seconds.

That was awesome.

It felt good.

It felt good to be on-on-on-

on soil,

US soil, for even

three freaking seconds.

So...

I'm excited.

I'm excited to see my mother.

I'm happy to see Pastor Emma.

And it's just kind of,

just the thoughts

about how I have to go

get deported

to a different country

to be able to hug my mother.

A--a US citizen

that her son fought...

for the US

got to come all the way

to Mexico

to hug her son.

I'm-I'm very happy,

but it's, uh, bittersweet.

I still have

panic att*cks, anxiety.

I scream at night

and I got about a week

and a half,

uh, worth of medicine just--

-That's it?

-That's it.

You only have a week

and a half?

Yes.

What is gonna happen after?

I don't know. That's what--

the first priority right now

was just to see my mother.

-Your mom is here.

But they're not-- they're

leaving in a couple of days.

They have to.

They have to go back--

Right.

-So--

-Uh, and this--

So you're gonna be here

without family,

without your medicine?

Correct.

For how long

have you been in this--

uh, have you been,

uh, deported?

Uh, deported since 2004,

so we're going on 14, uh,

14 years.

-Wow.

-Yeah.

And there are guys that have

been deported for 20 years.

It's-it's been a long time.

Some people

they never go back home, right?

Yeah, we have got--

we just buried a guy

over in Tijuana

just a couple of days ago.

We buried a brother.

And, uh, he--

and they see--

they cremated him,

uh, a couple of days ago.

And, uh, it's the only way

he's going home.

- Wow.

- Right now,

are you planning

on staying in Tijuana

or you're going down south?

Or what are your--

What are your plans right now?

Just kind of up in the air?

Yeah, but yeah, that's--

and there's--

and there's a housing.

It's the biggest one

that we have,

so they get to stay here

for dur-certain time,

three weeks minimum,

and then, you know,

depending on the guy,

if they're doing well.

But we try to get

the guys to find work

and then just move out

and get their own place.

What type of--um,

what type of work is available?

Call centers.

You can work in call centers.

In--with his English,

he can work at call centers.

That's--they're the best paying

jobs in Tijuana.

Uh, with Miguel's case,

it's difficult to see somebody

just starting out,

their sense.

Right now, he's-he's--

he's, like,

in a little bubble right now

with what--you know,

his family being here

and-and everybody.

But as soon as you guys are--

you know, or everybody's gone,

then you're in reality.

You know, you--

you're down here by yourself.

The good thing is, you got--

you know, you got the vets here.

You got all of the supporters.

But you're gonna have

to face that

"I may be here

for the rest of my life."

Just 20. Uh, you're 20?

Yup.

- Yeah.

-And you're still--

you're still my little girl.

Uh-hmm. Uh-hmm.

Stop being potty mouth.

You got--you got braces?

Ooh. Did you brush your teeth?

Okay. Okay.

Yeah, I could tell. There's

no bumper. It's so ghetto.

Let me see your ears.

Oh, nice.

Oh, she misses everybody.

Tomorrow, I will find out

about my citizenship.

Regardless of the decision,

we're gonna continue to do,

uh, the advocacy

and the work that we're doing.

My name is Liliana Morales.

My daddy is a deported veteran.

My daddy is currently

doing applications

to come home right now.

If maybe you guys could

please help-

help out my dad come back home,

that would be great.

And why do you want us--

why do you want me

to get home, mama?

Because you've been away

for years and I don't want--

I don't just want us

to just Skype.

I want us to be together.

One way

or the other, ultimately,

justice will prevail,

and these veterans

will come home.

Uh, and the conversation about

immigration in our country,

uh, will change.

This should not be

a partisan issue.

This should be an issue about

doing right by those

who have served this nation,

by those who have defended us.

We need to fix the system.

We need to allow people

who served this country,

who put on her uniform

and will say,

"I'm willing to defend

the Constitution

of the United States

from all enemies,

foreign and domestic."

And if they serve honorably,

they do their tour,

give them the citizenship,

and then we wouldn't have

this problem.

The United States

is a beautiful experiment.

But it's not an experiment

that is going to sustain itself.

It's an experiment that it takes

every single individual

to protect,

and no one knows better

than veterans.

Veterans understand this.

And you're deporting

United States veterans,

honorable discharged veterans.

You're deporting,

you're kicking them out,

your most loyal men and women,

those who stood up for you,

those who are broken inside

because of their service?

It ain't right.

It might be lawful.

Yeah, definitely, it's lawful.

It's lawful to deport

a United States veteran,

but it's not just, and

it's definitely not American.

Hello, everybody.

It's Hector Barajas here,

and, uh, we have, uh,

some really good news.

Uh, I just missed,

uh, a visit

from one of my brothers

that I served with.

Uh, he was at Fort Bragg

when I was in--

uh, stationed

with the 82nd Airborne.

Anyway, he-he did bring me

something unique

that we normally don't get,

which is, uh, as you can see.

You know, I actually was--

used to work at Taco Bell,

so, Mexican pizza,

uh, some chalupas

and some quesadillas.

Normally, we eat the, you know,

the stuff that's out here.

You know, there was

never a single day

in the Marine Corps

if-if-if I had a mission

that I would go back and say,

"Hey, you know what?

It was hard.

I just decided to say,

What the hell? I'm not gonna

do it?" That's not what we do.

Right? I mean,

when you hit that wall

and you're the first one

to hit that wall

and you cr*ck it a little bit,

but you don't get through,

you know what you do?

You come back

and you-you-you-you reset,

and you charge it harder.

And so we've hit

that wall for Hector

and we broke through,

and we got him a pardon.

And we're gonna hit it

to get him home

and get him a citizenship,

and I don't care

how many times

we've gotta hit it.

We will keep hitting

that damn wall

until we get him home.

And if he isn't successful in-

in the initial court case,

I wanna be there

to tell him that.

Oh.

Deported Veterans Support House.

Okay. All right.

Well, that's--that sounds good.

Whoo!

God. It's k*lling me.

So we got a decision.

- Okay.

- And we brought

-you news.

-Uh-hmm.

And we've always said

from the beginning

-we never stop fighting--

-Exactly.

regardless of what we got.

And so, um,

as you look at it and read it,

um, and you just got

to know we--

-we're never gonna stop.

-Sure. Definitely.

So, uh, we're just gonna do

a quick prayer.

-Yes.

Thank you for this opportunity

that I have today.

Uh, the pardon was one

of the biggest hurdles.

Uh, just being able to go

through this process,

and re-regardless

of what happens,

we're gonna continue this fight.

I ask you to please continue

to take care of our families,

our loved ones, and, uh, just--

I'm glad these people are here

to-to be here for this decision.

Um, again, thank you

for this day, Lord.

And I'll say, as a--

as a Marine,

I've never seen an Army guy

who fights like you, man.

Right? We love you, brother.

Yeah. And-and that is true.

And without your leadership,

uh, none of the progress

would've been made.

The legislation

wouldn't have happened,

pardons wouldn't have happened,

and, uh,

we wouldn't be here today.

-So, um--

-Okay.

let's go ahead

and let's get this over with.

All right.

So let's see what happens.

Uh, hope for the best

and expect the worst.

Read it out loud.

Uh, da-da-da-da-da.

"Application copy,

United States citizen--

Immigration Services

thanks you for your interest

in becoming

a United States citizen.

You must now appear--"

Whoo!

-You got it.

- Woo-hoo-hoo.

Congratulations, brother.

April 13. April 13.

You're coming home.

My God.

Oh, my God.

Oh, wow.

Okay, Hector.

Congratulations.

Fourteen years, man.

Woo-hoo.

Whew.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

And we'll keep fighting

for your brothers.

And I'm not stopping

for any of you guys,

because you're my commitment.

Oh.

Mom.

I'm coming home, Mom.

Bravo, bravo.

Wow. This is great, man.

Thank you.

Oh, wow.

Got a relative.

-You deserve it.

- I love you.

I love you, Mom.

All right.

This is insane.

It's never happened.

They never had

a Mexican deported--

who got deported back,

to go home as a citizen.

-It's the first.

- Yes.

- First of many.

- Yeah.

First of many.

I'm like a shape.

You know,

nobody can know about me.

I'm just a rumor.

But I have to stay strong.

And, you know,

I'm gonna ask you

this question, like--

and, like,

just know that I don't--

I'm not coming from a place

of judgment at all.

I'm actually just curious

to hear, like, what your--

what your thoughts on this are.

So, there's a lot of veterans,

a lot of deported veterans that,

you know, don't end up

joining the cartel.

And they're trying to go back.

They're trying to get home.

Do you feel as though your work

can give them a bad name?

Well, no. I just feel sorry

for them, you know, because...

I don't think

there's gonna be a way

for any veteran to go back

if they're--

if they already been deported.

If I told you that

there are veterans that are--

that are now--

just now being accepted

to go back,

what would your reaction be?

Well, I don't know.

You have to show me.

Yeah, there are.

There's the--there's--

We filmed with a guy.

We actually filmed

him getting, uh, getting the--

getting the response

from the US government

to get let back in

as a citizen.

And they give him-- uh, they

give him, uh, the chance?

Yeah. They giving him

another chance.

But if you think about-

about knowing about this,

you think they're gonna

give me a chance?

I don't know.

That's not really for me

to decide but, uh, I guess

it's more about, like,

do you feel as though

the decisions

that you've made now

after being deported

disqualify you from that?

Well, I actually

don't care anymore,

I'll say that.

I'm-I'm gonna stay here.

Happy birthday to you

- Cha, cha, cha.

- Cha, cha, cha.

Happy Birthday to you

Cha, cha, cha

Happy birthday, dear Hector

- What's your name again?

-Hector.

- Happy birthday to you

- And many more

- Yeah.

And many more

- Whoa.

-Time to blow out the candles?

- Oh, yeah.

- Yeah. Go for it.

It's okay now.

You wanna help me? Yeah.

- Yay.

- Get that one.

-Get that one.

Come on.

- Yay!

- Yay!

Happy birthday, mijo.

I called earlier.

I really just said,

"Yeah, whatever.

What do you want?

You want me to send you

some money?

What do you need?"

...for a few days.

For a couple nights.

- Oh, wow.

I was just waiting

for some paperwork.