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They served in the U.S. military and hoped for citizenship. Then they got deported.
www.washingtonpost.com ^ | 6/3/17 | Roxana Popescu

Posted on 06/04/2017 3:20:46 PM PDT by BBell

TIJUANA, MEXICO — Rep. Juan Vargas, a California Democrat whose district runs the length of the state’s border with Mexico, introduced a set of bills last fall aimed at helping U.S. military veterans who were deported after they were convicted of crimes. The bills stalled, casualties of what he called bad timing during the presidential campaign.

Vargas reintroduced the bills last week, because now he sees “a real opportunity.” He and six other Democratic members of Congress spent Saturday in this Mexican border town visiting deported veterans to press the issue, thinking that President Trump might be receptive to the argument that they are veterans first and deportees second.

These veterans, who agreed to serve in the U.S. military in exchange for a chance at U.S. citizenship, sit at the intersection of an issue with broad bipartisan interest — the treatment of those who fought for the nation — and immigration, an issue that resonates with the Democratic base.

“Hopefully someone in the administration, this time, will say, ‘We’re doing such a horrible job. The world hates us now. This is something we can do that’s positive,” Vargas said in an interview, noting that the administration has been mired in bad news and that the previous White House failed to take up the issue. “It’s a good opportunity for them to do something unambiguously positive: to help veterans.”

Vargas and his delegation brought their message Saturday to the Deported Veterans Support House in northern Tijuana. Here, they met with veterans who served but then had problems before they obtained full citizenship, finding themselves ejected from the United States after running afoul of the law.

Hector Barajas, who is leading an effort to get his peers back into the United States, made his case in front of the delegation and reporters. Barajas was deported

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: biglie; citizenship; criminals; deported; usmilitary
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To: Enchante

Quite right.


61 posted on 06/04/2017 4:25:55 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Sequoyah101

Agreed. Others here are on left field.

We are not a colony, we are a nation of laws. How it is possible for a non-citizen to serve in combat is a matter for Congress to reconcile, but if it were up to me, no -citizens should not even wear the uniform.

Being here is not enough. Wearing the uniform - after having broken laws to get here - is certainly no excuse for amnesty as a result of a broken induction system, likely borne of liberal forces in the military...


62 posted on 06/04/2017 4:33:12 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus-)
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To: BBell

If the Post wasn’t trying to mislead the headline would read: “They served in the U.S. military and hoped for citizenship. Then they committed crimes and got deported.”

I appreciate when people serve in the military. But some people in the military unfortunately are still criminals, and we do not need more imported criminals. We have enough home-grown ones. Thank you. I 100% support their deportation and anyone else with a criminal record who is here illegally (or legally but still not a citizen for that matter).


63 posted on 06/04/2017 4:38:29 PM PDT by FenwickBabbitt
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To: logi_cal869

We dont disagree but they broke criminal law,not mmigration law, AFTER they served a n d STILL had not applied for citizenship.


64 posted on 06/04/2017 4:52:58 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: BBell

Yup. If they didn’t get it while they were in, they blew it.


65 posted on 06/04/2017 4:59:53 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

They did have the chance, if they didn’t fill out the paperwork while they had the opportunity, it is THEIR fault, not ours,


66 posted on 06/04/2017 5:00:53 PM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

In 66-67 I served with many non-citizens, both legal and illegal immigrants. It was the understanding with all of them that citizenship was all but certain if they had an honorable discharge and no civilian crimes.

Anti-Communism was the most common factor with these non-citizens. Most were Hispanic. But they included Eastern Europeans and others. Mexican citizens in the US Army back then were extremely anti-Castro.

I was not worried about their loyalty. I was worried about the guys who drank too much and did stupid, illegal and counter-productive things that turned the Vietnamese population against us.


67 posted on 06/04/2017 5:11:12 PM PDT by spintreebob
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To: BBell

Convicted of crimes outweighs everything else. They deserve to be deported.


68 posted on 06/04/2017 5:12:12 PM PDT by Reno89519 (Drain the Swamp is not party specific. Lyn' Ted is still a liar, Good riddance to him.)
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To: BBell

Anyone else’s bs meter-needle swinging?


69 posted on 06/04/2017 5:13:10 PM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: Sequoyah101

That was presumed. Frankly, I was being polite to the others who supported their citizenship.

But since you brought it up...

One problem with what you wrote: How is it possible that the didn’t break immigration law if they were non-citizens?

Regardless, goes back to my comment about how they got into the military in the first place.


70 posted on 06/04/2017 5:23:13 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus-)
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To: BBell

Do the crime, do the time.

Toss their ass.


71 posted on 06/04/2017 5:29:38 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (It's not gun violence, it's thug violence)
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To: tumblindice
I’m sure you noticed that entire paragraph where Vargas slams the USA

Here in the Southwest we have had to listen to that violent staccato rap for a long time now.

Raul Grijalva, Art Torres, Corky Gonzalez, Reyes Tijerina, Antonio Villaraigosa and now the new generation - Kevin de Leon, Ricardo Lara, Tony Rendon and of course Sr. Vargas himself.

Table pounding, A-ya-na-na-ya-na-na-na, Ju gringos gotta let us in and we gonna take ober.

Same song, different day.

Pretty tired of hearing it.

72 posted on 06/04/2017 5:29:38 PM PDT by Regulator
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To: Greensea
"These veterans were convicted of CRIMES before they were deported"

Thank you!

EVERY TIME some "reporter" tries to write a sob story about illegal aliens getting deported, they NEVER tell the full truth.

That is wonderful that we have had Mexican serve honorably in the US military in defense of the United States.

But notice that none of these examples mentioned ever applied for citizenship.

More importantly, they committed CRIMES, and not jaywalking either. VIOLENT crimes.

One sob story went to prison for "firing a gun".

OK, by a show of hands, how many people go to prison for "firing a gun"?

How many veterans of any nationality who suffer from PTSD, use that as an excuse for armed robbery and drug dealing?

People with PTSD are in true psychological pain.

But they don't go out and rape people, then blame it on their mental anguish.

73 posted on 06/04/2017 5:56:23 PM PDT by boop ("I don't know"- Jeff Spicoli)
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To: BBell

The old “failure to time your crime” deal .... darn the luck.


74 posted on 06/04/2017 6:06:24 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Start using cash and checks or the elite class and bankers will make "cashless" the norm.)
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To: BBell
They served in the U.S. military and hoped for citizenship. Then they got deported.

The lying headline is mendacity at its worst. The first line says they were deported because they were criminals. U.S. military service versus citizenship had nothing to do with it!

75 posted on 06/04/2017 6:30:30 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: SecondAmendment

Only U.S. Citizens should be allowed to serve in our military. Period!


76 posted on 06/04/2017 6:35:12 PM PDT by Godebert (CRUZ: Born in a foreign land to a foreign father.)
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To: dfwgator

Yup.


77 posted on 06/04/2017 6:37:11 PM PDT by Godebert (CRUZ: Born in a foreign land to a foreign father.)
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To: Timpanagos1

If they served out their full enlistment and were discharged honorably give them citizenship. If they committed a crime after, prosecute them just like any other citizen.


78 posted on 06/04/2017 6:41:32 PM PDT by cpdiii ( Deckhand, Roughneck, Mud Man, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist. CONSTITUTUTION IS WORTH DYING FOR!)
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To: tumblindice
The first act of aliens here illegally in stepping onto our soil is a crime.

I served with more than one foreigner that enlisted legally at the US Embassy in his mother country. The program they entered service under was a pipeline to US Citizenship.

Our enlistment oath states:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
When I was in basic training in 1975 there was even a remedial reading squadron to bring trainees up the level required. Trainees were screened, removed from training and went to the 26th squadron for a month or two. Or however long it took to wash them out or get them up to speed. Then, they returned to training in another flight at the same training day they originally left training.
79 posted on 06/04/2017 6:50:33 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: dfwgator

Have the highest respect for the USMC but don’t believe the Oswald shot Kennedy bunk.


80 posted on 06/04/2017 6:58:07 PM PDT by mcshot
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