72-year-old honorably discharged veteran deported after 50 years in America

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/72-year-old-honorably-discharged-veteran-deported-after-50-years-in-america/



72-year-old honorably discharged veteran deported after 50 years in America
Sarah K. Burris
05 Feb 2016 at 14:32 ET

Private First Class Andres De Leon, 72, signed up for the U.S. Army to fight in Vietnam when he turned 18-years-old at a time many were trying to avoid the war. He served for 12 years and spent two full years overseas before being honorably discharged. Like many veterans, he suffers from depression, that spiraled out of control when his mother passed away. But unlike most veterans, his depression led to him being deported.

De Leon may have moved to Madera, California with his family legally when he was 12-years-old but he was deported when he became addicted to heroin to medicate his depression and was eventually arrested for possession. Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.) lists this as a valid reason for deportation and three years into his sentence at Soledad State Prison, ICE came knocking.

By 2009, an immigration judge ordered De Leon back to Mexico where he hasn’t lived for over 50 years. He’s living in Tijuana today in a one room apartment after spending his first few weeks homeless and on the streets. With no friends or family and certainly no veterans benefits, his sister fears that his type-2 diabetes isn’t being taken care of.

~snip~

His story is sad enough and you would think that there aren’t many like him, but you’d be wrong. Once back in Mexico he met Hector Barajas, a former paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne who told De Leon there were dozens like them. In 2013, Barajas started a safe house for veterans from the United States that are deported to Mexico.

[NeoGreen]

1. I sorry, but WTF...

...where is the common sense?

Where is the discretion for exceptions?

This is an example of why I dislike the Law is the Law mentality.

[TexasProgresive]

2. It is so sad how we treat veterans

Why didn't Mr. De Leon receive treatment for his depression? Why do veterans have to fight the VA tooth and nail to get any help? Why do NGOs like the DAV and Paralyzed Vets have to exist to get the VA to do what it is supposed to do? And when the VA fails have to step in to the gap.

We can spend billions on a failed system like the F-35 but pinch pennies when it comes to our veterans. And to deport men and women who have served honorably is despicable.

[ShrimpPoboy]

3. +1

This man earned his right to be here and to be treated better. For all the flag waiving, we sure do let down the men and women that serve it.