Once again, we are seeing the inhumane damage Trump and the GOP’s vindictive racism, xenophobia and hatred are causing this country, and now this brave soldier and this family.
ICE agents are set to depart Miguel Perez Jr. today after being detained for 14 months. Perez served two terms fighting for our freedom in Afghanistan and suffered two brain injuries that led to PTSD.
Here is more, via the Facebook status and video posted by NOW THIS.
BREAKING: ICE is today deporting this Army combat veteran with two U.S. citizen children, ending a 16-month effort to secure his immigration status. He’s lived in the U.S. since he was 8 years old.
Here is a transcript of the video:
Cecilia Garcia, Familia Latina Unida: I am appalled by the inhumane treatment that they’ve done to our soldier, our hero. He fought for this nation to defend my rights and it is my due diligence now to defend him and this whole country should be appalled!
NOW THIS: Miguel Perez Jr. has been detained for 14 months. He was denied a February 27 visit from his physician.
Dr. David Ansell, Rush Unive: He is truly a wounded warrior—a young man who served our country, who suffered from two traumatic brain injuries, as a consequence has serious problems and PTSD, all of which need to be treated in an expert medical facility.
NOW THIS: He has 2 children and has lived in the United States since he was 8. He’s being deported due to a 2010 drug conviction.
Miguel Perez Sr.,Father: My son went to defend the Constitution and he came back insured. And now the Constitution won’t defend him. The system now wants to deport him from the country from which he was willing to give his life.
Esperanz Perez, Mother: I am the mother of a hero. My son is a hero. It’s not fair what happened to my son. Why [does] this country treat a soldier like that?
Carlos Luna, Green Card Veterans Council: The mantra, “Support the Troops”—here they are showing their true colors. They don’t really care about the veterans who are not “native” to here. They will take us. They will take our service. They will take our blood, but they will not provide us with the equity we are told we are fighting for.
NOW THIS: Supporters want GOP Senators Cornyn and Grassley to use their power to demand ICE halt the deportation.
Cecilia Garcia: Remaining silent now and not doing nothing is what makes you complicit to the corruption and the treatment of our soldiers here in this nation. You know you’re aware. We need to call Grassley, we need to call Cornyn and have them stop the deportation of Miguel and all veterans.
Dr. Anzell: I think that denial of this wounded warrior to get just routine medical care by [his] own physician in their facility is nothing short of criminal and torture. You know, we live in a country where our own presidents had five deferments to stay out of the Vietnam War, and here’s a young man, who at the age of 18, went to serve our country and is suffering from the impact of that service and our response to him should be medical.
Miguel Perez Sr.: He went to fight terrorism and now my son is living a terrorism brought on by the system, a terrorism we are living as well—and it is unjust.
Something that Cecilia Garcia said about remaining silent now—and doing nothing is what makes you complicit to the corruption and the treatment of our soldiers here in this nation. We are aware and there is something we can do. We can call Grassley and Cornyn demand they stop the deportation of Miguel and all veterans. Making two calls may sound like a small thing to do, but it could have a big impact, if not for Perez and his family, possibly for future veterans.
(And if you get them on the phone, you might also want to ask them why all veterans aren’t given automatic citizenship.)
Contact:
Sen. Chuck Grassley:
Washington DC Office
Contact:
Senator John Cornyn:
If the senators are not in, leave a message. Blitz them with messages. Every call is documented. They don’t know whether you are a Democrat or Republican and Midterms are coming up—so they are listening.
Thank you.
And thank you to NOW THIS for continuously putting out informative, pro-active and progressive videos.