Original subtitles

[operator] This is a prepaid call from...

[Miguel Jr] Miguel Perez.

[operator] An inmate at the Kenosha County

Detention Center.

[Miguel Jr] 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.

[crickets chirping]

[train engine chugging]

[train horn honking]

[thunder rumbling]

[metal clanking]

[metal creaks]

[metal clanks]

[door creaks opens]

[car engine revving]

[motorcycle engine revving]

♪ suspenseful music ♪

[dogs barking]

[door opens]

♪♪♪♪♪

[woman speaking Spanish]

[dogs barking]

[gun clicks]

♪ suspenseful music ♪

[El Vet] 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.

[man] Who taught you those skills?

The army.

♪ suspenseful music ♪

[siren wailing]

[El Vet] 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 war is going on.

It's getting stronger.

That's why there are so many killings.

♪♪♪♪♪

[siren wailing]

[woman speaks Spanish]

[dogs barking]

♪ suspenseful music ♪

[El Vet] 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 ♪

[man laughs]

[men speaking Spanish]

[door closes]

[man] Hey, what's up? [speaking Spanish]

[car door opens]

♪♪♪♪♪

[man speaking Spanish]

♪♪♪♪♪

[man speaking Spanish]

[Esperanza speaking Spanish]

[man]

[Esperanza]

[man]

[man]

♪♪♪♪♪

[buzzing]

[Stefanie] The deported US military veterans--

it almost sounds like an oxymoron, but believe it or not

a large number of former military 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 military.

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 military.

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.

[woman] 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.

[Miguel Sr.]

I'm the mother of a hero.

My son is my hero.

I'm very strong...

like my son.

-[speaks Spanish] -[speaks Spanish]

Thank you for your support.

[Esperanza cries]

♪♪♪♪♪

[Miguel Jr speaking English]

[Tammy] 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 military

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.

[cars honking]

[chattering in Spanish]

Hello?

-[girl] 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 military 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 drugs and alcohol.

You put yourself in a position where

somebody fired a weapon 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 military.

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.

[sighs]

[exhales]

♪ dramatic music ♪

[Hector] It's an upside-down flag,

which if you're in the military, it's distress

or we're being overrun or we need help.

[reporter] 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?

[chattering]

[man] 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.

[Nathan] 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 military 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 ♪

[man chattering]

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 assault on another dude for shitty stuff,

which it was--

it was a necklace.

And the government just threw me out.

Being here in Juárez,

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.

[car engine revving]

[man speaking Spanish]

[man speaking Spanish]

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 killed.

Your family,

your mother, your father, your brothers,

everyone will be killed.

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.

[El Vet] 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 kill.

♪ suspenseful music ♪

[Daniel] Violence 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 military training,

but you are creating a scenario

where they could.

[man] Well, Mexico is now the second deadliest country

in the world after only Syria, Shannon.

While they're in a civil war,

Mexico's violence is attributed to only one thing-- drugs.

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 war between Juárez

and the Sinaloa Cartel rages on.

And Juárez has become one of the most violent

and deadly cities in the world.

♪ dramatic music ♪

[siren wailing]

[reporter] 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.

Juárez is a primary drug trafficking route

for the Sinaloa Cartel, for the Juárez Cartel,

because probably about 60% to 70% of the drugs

that are smuggled across into the United States

go through the Juárez-El Paso corridor.

The Juárez 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.

[siren wailing]

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 bullets.

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.

[door closes]

[man] So, I want to hear a little bit

about your childhood.

Did you grow up as an American?

[Miguel Jr speaking English]

[Chris] There's no precedent that I have seen for them

granting citizenship back in time,

but we're gonna make it a precedent. [laughs]

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 war

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 war,

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.

[reporter] Today, Illinois US Senator Tammy Duckworth

sent an urgent letter

to the secretary of Homeland Security

asking the Trump 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 war."

I just don't see any argument about--

well, you come back damaged from a war

and then there's something bad

and you get no breaks, you get no mercy,

you never can redeem yourself.

That makes no sense.

[man shouting in Spanish]

God bless you. Take care.

This is [indistinct]. 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,

shooting 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.

♪♪♪♪♪

[Hector] The military was very structured for me.

I got out of the military,

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 fucking good news.

Oh, yeah. [laughs]

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.

[man speaking Spanish]

We see the sky as so much greater

than any wall.

We ask your blessing now on these families.

[speaking Spanish]

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.

[Jennie] 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 military

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.

[speaking Spanish]

[explosion]

[gunfire]

♪♪♪♪♪

[Miguel Jr speaking English]

[reporter] During his next hearing,

his attorney will argue that the cartels in Mexico

could threaten Perez.

[Chris] They know, you know,

you've got weapons training, military training,

you have ins with people in the United States,

and you're gonna work for us.

[gunfire]

[man] In the most perverse way I've ever seen,

we're actually training people

to then come back and fight against us.

[gunfire]

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.

[Michael] I've looked at a lot of the deported veterans

that have military skills

that have basically created

a national security threat, not only for Mexico,

but, you know, that violence has spilled over

into the United States.

[Daniel] Five, six years ago,

you would look at pictures of, uh,

drug cartel shootouts,

and you would see a dead body in a wall

with a hundred bullets behind that.

Nowadays, you see a dead body

with two shots to the chest and one in the groin.

That's how military members shoot.

So you have to ask yourself,

who's teaching them to shoot,

or who is doing the shooting?

♪♪♪♪♪

♪♪♪♪♪

[car door opens]

[El Vet] If someone sends you, you just have to do it.

If you don't do it, they're gonna kill you.

So it's either you or him.

-[man] No filming. -[man] All right, stop.

[man speaking Spanish]

[El Vet speaking Spanish]

[Mexican music plays on radio]

♪♪♪♪♪

♪♪♪♪♪

-[man speaking Spanish] -[inmate] Uh-huh.

[speaking Spanish]

[speaking Spanish]

[Miguel Jr]

[operator]

[Miguel Jr]

♪♪♪♪♪

[man]

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 killing anyone,

you feel the need to see that blood, you know?

You feel the need to kill someone.

Once you get used to it,

you get cold, you can't stop.

[man]

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.

♪♪♪♪♪

[Hector] 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.

[sniffles] 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. -[chuckles]

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.

-[laughs] -[sniffles] 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.

[tattoo gun buzzing]

[man] You never-- when you were out there

in the States, you never thought about getting it, or--

[Hector] 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.

[chuckles]

[speaking Spanish]

[tattoo gun buzzing]

[Jennie] 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.

[reporter] A Chicago war veteran who served two tours

at Afghanistan is now facing deportation.

Tomorrow, a judge will decide his fate.

[chattering]

[Chris] Good? Everybody good? All right.

-[woman] Yeah. -[Chris] 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.

[crowd cheering]

-[woman] We knew it. -[Chris] 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 military.

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.

-[woman] Right. -[Emma] 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.

[woman] Yes.

[Chris] 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.

[Emma] God is in charge.

Go in there and get the job done.

God is in charge.

[crowd cheering]

[Emma] Miguel Perez, Jr.

[woman] Amen, amen, amen.

♪♪♪♪♪

[chattering]

Whenever you're ready, let me know.

[chattering]

[Chris] 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."

[Emma] 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.

[shouting in Spanish]

[Chris] 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 military vet, you know,

went to war, 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... [chuckles] It's all good.

Uh, like we say, we may have lost the battle,

uh, but we have-- but we haven't lost the war.

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.

♪♪♪♪♪

[voice cracking] I'm very proud of-of everybody that's here.

All the--all the people that's supporting our cause,

our families... [sniffles]

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.

[chattering]

[car engine rumbling]

[man speaking indistinct]

-[man] Copy. -[man] Stay here.

[men speaking Spanish]

[ man screaming in pain]

♪♪♪♪♪

[man] I kind of wanna, like, talk

a little bit about this. Why are you...

[crew member] Yeah, what's up?

[crew member] All right. I'm ready.

[man] Thanks, man.

[man] Why are you cool, like, doing this?

And, like, why-why are you cool with us?

I mean, this must be tough.

[El Vet] 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.

[man] 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...[sighs]

[sobs]

[man] 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 drugs and death.

There's nothing else,

and I don't want him to be in my place.

He should be way better than me,

[sighs] 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.

[wind blowing]

[operator] You have a collect call from...

[Miguel Jr] Miguel Perez.

[speaking English]

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 killed by the cartels.

-[reporter] Uh-hmm. -[reporter] 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.

[chattering]

-[boy] Oh, little cute mousey. -[woman] Uh-huh.

♪♪♪♪♪

[fireworks exploding]

♪♪♪♪♪

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 [sniffles] 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 [chuckles]

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--

[chuckles] 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.

[laughs] So...

[Miguel Jr] 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 attacks, 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.

[reporter] For how long have you been in this--

uh, have you been, uh, deported?

[Hector] 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.

[woman] 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.

-[Miguel Jr] Wow. -[Hector] 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.

-[woman] 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.

[scoffs]

♪♪♪♪♪

♪♪♪♪♪

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.

[Hector] 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.

[Nathan] 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.

[Tammy] 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.

[Miguel Jr] 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.

[chuckles] 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.

[Nathan] 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 crack 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.

♪♪♪♪♪

[phone ringing]

Oh.

Deported Veterans Support House.

Okay. All right. Well, that's--that sounds good.

Whoo!

God. It's killing me.

♪♪♪♪♪

[Nathan] So we got a decision.

-[Hector] Okay. -[Nathan] And we brought

-you news. -Uh-hmm.

[Nathan] 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. -[sighs]

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.

[Nathan] 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.

[Hector] 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! [laughs]

[applause]

-You got it. -[man] Woo-hoo-hoo.

[Nathan] Congratulations, brother.

April 13. April 13. You're coming home.

[sniffs] My God.

Oh, my God.

Oh, wow.

[sniffles]

[man] Okay, Hector. Congratulations.

Fourteen years, man.

Woo-hoo.

[sniffles, sobs]

[sniffles] Whew.

[man] Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. [laughs]

And we'll keep fighting for your brothers.

And I'm not stopping for any of you guys,

because you're my commitment.

[sniffles] Oh.

[laughs] Mom. I'm coming home, Mom.

[woman] Bravo, bravo.

Wow. This is great, man.

Thank you.

Oh, wow.

Got a relative.

-You deserve it. -[woman] 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. -[woman] Yes.

-[Hector] First of many. -[woman] Yeah.

[Hector] First of many.

♪♪♪♪♪

[waves crashing]

[seabirds squawking]

[Miguel Jr speaking Spanish]

[Esperanza speaking Spanish]

[Miguel Jr]

[Esperanza]

[Miguel Jr] I'm like a shape.

You know, nobody can know about me.

I'm just a rumor.

But I have to stay strong.

[man] 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.

[all] ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

-[woman] Cha, cha, cha. -[man] Cha, cha, cha.

[all] ♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪

♪ Cha, cha, cha ♪

♪ Happy birthday, dear Hector ♪

-[man] What's your name again? -Hector.

-[man laughs] -[all] ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

-♪ And many more ♪ -[man] Yeah.

[woman] ♪ And many more ♪

-[man] Whoa. -Time to blow out the candles?

-[man] Oh, yeah. -[man] Yeah. Go for it.

It's okay now.

You wanna help me? Yeah.

-[woman speaking Spanish] -[man speaking Spanish]

-[woman] Yay. -[man] Get that one.

-Get that one. -[woman speaking Spanish]

[laughter]

Come on.

[laughter]

-[Hector] Yay! -[all] Yay!

[woman] Happy birthday, mijo.

[man speaking Spanish]

[man] 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?"

-[woman speaking] ...for a few days.

[man] For a couple nights.

-[woman] Oh, wow. -[man speaking Spanish]

[man] I was just waiting for some paperwork.

[chattering]

[crickets chirping]

♪♪♪♪♪

♪♪♪♪♪