Non-Citizens Veterans In Trouble

There’s a small group of young people who do seem to be a forgotten target of discrimination. They are non-citizens who fought in the armed forces, came back, somehow got in trouble and now face deportation. Had they been killed in action, they would have been given citizenship and buried with appropriate military honors. Even though we are becoming more aware that many returning veterans are prone to engage in violent behavior, these young people do not receive the benefit of our doubts. They come back to conditions that appear to overwhelm them, buy arms, get into drugs, and engage in actions that manage to bring them into the criminal justice system. From then on, the system seems merciless—deportation to a country they left long ago and with which they have little if any ties.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is looking into the possibilities of changing existing laws. Let’s hope they succeed.