Thread by @AlOtroLado_Org

Did you know that being willing to die for your country is not enough to guarantee you automatic citizenship? Yes, that’s right. We’re talking about the thousands of veterans who have been deported after serving their country.
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Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be an American citizen to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces nor does your service automatically qualify you for citizenship.
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Immigrant service members are eligible for citizenship after their service, but not all get to complete their naturalization.
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Some are falsely told by dubious recruitment officers that citizenship is automatic after enlisting. Others simply get lost in a confusing maze of paperwork, red tape, and bureaucracy.
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After returning to civilian life, many veterans suffer from untreated PTSD and mental illness that lead them to substance abuse and making poor choices that land them in jail.
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President Clinton’s 1996 Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibilty Act made all green card holders more vulnerable to deportation by reclassifying some lower-level offenses as “aggravated felonies” for which removal became mandatory.
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Offenses like driving with an expired license or possession of marijuana suddenly became grounds for permanent expulsion without regard to military service. And Trump made it worse by eliminating certain programs designed to help military members get citizenship.
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After serving their time in jail they are doubly punished by being deported to a country most have never known because they came to the U.S. as children. We must not let America’s deported veterans be left behind.
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Some ways you can support #DeportedVeterans:

1. Support orgs like @UDeported @rep_our_pat and Deported Veterans Support House.

2. Amplify their stories.

3. Tell your Congressperson to support the New Way Forward Act and the Veteran Deportation Prevention + Reform Act.
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