Capping off years of efforts, including a full pardon from California Gov. Jerry Brown, Hector Barajas-Varela, a U.S. military veteran deported to Mexico over a decade ago, will be returning home to the U.S. to be sworn in as an American citizen. Barajas-Varela got the news at while at “The Bunker,” the support center he founded for other deported vets:
Tucked in his left arm was a blue folder with a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, delivering the good news he had waited more than a decade to hear. As cameras clicked, Barajas-Varela held a cellphone in his right hand, telling his mother in Southern California that he’s coming home. Then he turned to a friend and gave him a high five and a hug.
“I got it,” he said, laughing. “I got it, bro. Two weeks.”
Barajas-Varela was honorably discharged in 2001, “after receiving numerous accolades and awards, including the Army Commendation Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal.” But like many other vets, “Barajas-Varela said he had difficulty adjusting to civilian life.” He struggled with substance abuse and was convicted of shooting at an occupied car. Nobody was hurt in the incident, and Barajas-Varela served over a year in prison. Barajas-Varela was deported in 2004, having never applied for citizenship under the impression that serving made it automatic:
During his 10 years living in Mexico, Barajas-Varela founded, with the help of the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs in San Diego, the Deported Veterans Support House, known as the “Bunker.” Last year a congressional delegation, including Rep. Joaquín Castro, (D-TX), visited the center and advocated for the deported veterans. "Many of us believe that they should be allowed to become citizens," said Rep. Castro.
He applied for citizenship once in Mexico, “and in 2016, passed the English and civics portions of the naturalization process,” then launching a lawsuit with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial counties. His cause had been aided by Gov. Brown, who gave him a full pardon, saying Barajas-Varela “has shown that since his release from custody, he has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen.”
An estimated 230 military service members have been deported after serving their country, and immigrant family members of U.S.-born service members have also been torn from their homes and families by ICE. Just days ago, the Trump administration deported Army Private 1st Class Miguel Perez, Jr., who served two tours in Afghanistan and struggled with addiction and PTSD. Realizing he was in no way alone, Barajas-Varela, a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, founded “The Bunker” to assist other deported vets:
He has lived in Tijuana since, in a small shelter he had turned into a haven for people like himself: veterans who lost the right to live in the United States because of criminal convictions. The Deported Veterans Support House has served about 20 people since 2013. The Bunker provides services and legal resources to deportees adjusting to a life outside the United States. The support house also has identified and made contact with more than 300 deported men and women from more than three dozen countries, Barajas-Varela said.
Barajas-Varela will return to the U.S. and be sworn in as a United States citizen on April 13, but he’s not forgetting the Americans who need his help:
Despite gaining his citizenship, Barajas-Varela said, he plans to stay in Mexico and live in The Bunker for another year to continue his work supporting deported veterans.
“To make sure that if I leave, it doesn’t close down. … I got a commitment to these guys,” he said.
Two deported veterans are now living in The Bunker, Barajas-Varela said. The support house opened a second location last year in Juarez, Mexico, near the Texas border, and another one is in the works in the Dominican Republic.
"Finally, after years of fighting for the rights of deported veterans to return to the U.S., Hector will be able to return home as an American citizen," said the ACLU’s Jennie Pasquarella. "Hector, like a true soldier, has fought day in and day out since his deportation on behalf of deported veterans across the globe. He never gave up hope that he would one day return to his home and be reunited with his family."
