Deporting veterans is nothing to boast about
Since President Trump set in motion his plans to tackle illegal immigration, more than 37,000 people have been deported and returned to their countries of origin — the majority to Latin America.
What has been lost in Trump’s triumphant proclamations of success, and I believe deliberately so, is the fact that these deportees include veterans of the U.S. Armed Services.
As a disabled Air Force veteran who is married to a veteran and the mother of a veteran, who comes from a military family, I have served alongside some of these courageous individuals whose only supposed “crime” is that they are foreign nationals.
They put their lives on the line in defense of our country, freedoms and cherished ideals. So, as someone who works to support the health and wellness of women veterans, military personnel and their families, I am deeply troubled by the ongoing deportation of these men and women who have honorably served our nation. This issue not only dishonors their service but also inflicts profound harm on their families and communities.
Serving this country should be a path to belonging, not a roadblock to citizenship. According to fwd.us, it is estimated there are about 45,000 foreign-born individuals actively serving. About 5,000 join the military each year. Yet, for thousands of immigrant servicemembers, even after swearing an oath to........
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