US Veterans Deported to Mexico Organize Near Border, Look for a Way Back Home Rebekah Sager - Fox News Latino
go to original April 15, 2016

Deported veterans have a home in Tijuana, Mexico. They call it the “Bunker,” and it helps deported members of the U.S. military by providing food, shelter and support. From video journalists Brooke Binkowski and Juca Favela in Mexico. (AJ+)

When someone volunteers to serve in the U.S. military, the idea that they’d somehow will be punished by the country they are willing to die for seems virtually unthinkable.

But it’s not a matter of heroism for non-U.S. citizens, who risk getting booted out of the country if they are convicted of a felony, once they have served their prison term. Chances are pretty good that their only way back home to America is after they've died.

When it comes to Mexican-born deported veterans, many opt to stay in the border area — specifically in Tijuana, Rosarito or Otay, where this diverse community of former vets with a criminal record often end up spending the rest of their lives.

In 2013, veteran and convicted felon Hector Barajas founded the Deported Veterans Support House, also known as The Bunker, devoted to the needs of this displaced group of people, a lot of which suffer from psychiatric issues due to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Bunker offers everything from therapy to legal counseling through the ACLU, as well as help with housing, food, clothing and drug rehabilitation.

...“These are men who’ve served. They shouldn’t have to wait to die before getting the help they need. They served the country proudly,” said Barajas, who was convicted in 2001 for a shooting-related crime in which no one was injured. He spent two years in prison before being deported.

Read the rest at Fox News Latino

Related: 72-Year-Old Honorably Discharged Veteran Deported to Mexico After 50 Years in America (Raw Story)

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