Immigration advocates are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker to pardon five Illinois military veterans who were deported and currently live in exile.
The veterans are in exile all over the world, including Mexico, Guatemala and India. Some were deported more than 20 years ago, according to the League of United Latin American Citizens. The group called for their return during a news conference Monday afternoon in the Lower West Side.
“Today we celebrate Veterans Day … by calling for the immediate return of deported green card veterans who served honorably in the U.S. military, only to be sent into exile after facing legal challenges,” said Cecilia Garcia, director of the Illinois chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The veterans were recruited while in high school and enlisted as permanent residents under the promise of one day obtaining U.S. citizenship, Garcia said.
They went on to serve in the Navy, the Army and Illinois Army National Guard. One of the veterans fought in Operation Desert Storm. All were honorably discharged, Garcia said.
“They fought for the United States, defending its Constitution, its flag and its ideals,” she said. “Many returned from service to physical and mental scars, including PTSD. Instead of receiving the care, respect and support they deserve, these veterans found themselves entangled in the criminal justice system and deported.”
Some of the deported veterans had no connections to the country they were deported to, and they all left family behind in Illinois, Garcia said.
“We’re calling again on Gov. Pritzker to pardon these five Illinois veterans and for President Biden during the lame-duck session, to pardon the untold number of veterans [from across the U.S.] that are living in exile,” said Emma Lozano, a pastor and the Midwest vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The league also sent a letter to Pritzker on Monday asking him to pardon the five veterans. In their letter, they thank the governor for pardoning Miguel Perez Jr., a Chicago veteran who was deported in 2018. He was granted U.S. citizenship in 2019 after he was pardoned earlier that year.
Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya told reporters Monday she was heartbroken to learn about veterans being deported, especially after surviving combat.
“Not just anybody signs up to go into the military,” Anaya said. “It’s someone that really does care about their country and about saving democracy and the freedoms that it provides.”
