Calls to stop deporting veterans and expedite the return of deported veterans to the U.S.

Many U.S. military veterans are deported each year to countries where they lack family and access to military benefits. Additionally, black veterans are disproportionately affected and are often deported to countries where they face significant challenges and limited resources. Lawful permanent residents who serve in the military can apply for U.S. Citizenship, sometimes without the preliminary step of getting a green card, depending on whether they served in peace or wartime. Despite this, veterans who commit crimes after their service are often deported instead of having their cases heard in Veterans’ Treatment Courts or other options that prioritize veteran support. Deported veterans, many suffering from service-connected disabilities such as PTSD, face significant hardships, including unemployment and lack of healthcare. They often struggle to afford the expensive flights the Department of Homeland Security designates for their return. The total count of deported veterans is unknown, but past policies did not consistently consider veteran status during deportation processes. Executive Order 14012 and the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative aim to prioritize the return of deported veterans, yet greater support is needed. H.R. 4569 (Veterans Service Recognition Act) seeks to address these issues by providing lawful permanent resident status to veterans facing deportation and ensuring their service is considered in deportation decisions.

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States urges Congress to ensure honorably discharged veterans have their cases heard in Veterans Treatment Courts or other appropriate veterans’ programs and be exempt from deportation without due process. Additionally, EANGUS advocates for the expedited return of deported veterans, including the utilization of Space A flights for their return, and calls for support of HR 4569 to cease automatic deportation and establish a pathway for naturalization, with particular attention to the disproportionate impact on Black veterans.