Safehouse For Deported U.S. Veterans To Open In Mexico

Hector Barajas

Photos: Facebook

Former U.S. Veterans who were previously deported to Mexico will open the Deported Veterans Support Home (Safehouse) in Baja California, Mexico.

By H. Nelson Goodson

October 4, 2012

Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico - On Wednesday, a group of banished U.S. Veterans who were deported to Mexico by the U.S. Government announced the opening of a safehouse on October 13, that will provide support to other Veterans that have been deported as well. One of those deported Veterans, Hector Barajas with the assistance of Fabian Rebolledo, another deported Veteran, has turned his Rosarito Beach home into a Deported Veterans Support Home where Barajas resides after being deported to Mexico.

Barajas, who served in the U.S. Army between 1995 to 2001 reported through a Facebook news release that the safehouse will provide the needed support for those U.S. Veterans facing removal proceedings from the U.S. and will eventually get deported to Mexico. The safehouse will be the first of its kind in Mexico.

Those Veterans seeking support will be able to get spiritual advice, shelter, food, assistance in getting a local Mexican ID. They will also have access to a phone and Internet, according to Barajas.

At the moment, Barajas is seeking contributions and donated furniture, food, clothing, contacts for job skill training and future job placement for the banished U.S. Veterans in Mexico.

"Since 1996, the U.S. government has deported Vietnam, Persian, Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan combat/peace time Veterans who had legal residence, VA benefits and strong ties to the U.S.," Barajas stated.

On October 12, both Manuel and Valente Valenzuela from Colorado Springs will be speaking about the issue of the banished U.S. Veterans at the UTEP Campus in El Paso, Texas. The Valenzuelas who have become advocates for deported Veterans had faced the threat of deportation to Mexico for misdemeanor crimes, but were able to stay in the U.S. until their immigration case gets resolved. Since then, they have learned of hundreds of Veterans facing deportation or who have been deported regardless of their contributions and honorable service in the armed forces protecting the freedom of Americans and the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2011 confirmed that 3,000 Veterans were facing deportation to their native country. The Valenzuela brothers have put forth the issue of the deportation of U.S. Veterans, despite President Barack H. Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney's exclusion of the issue in Wednesday's debate or in their campaigns for U.S. President.

The mother of deported U.S. Veteran, Fabian Rebolledo will also be a guest speaker at the event. The event on October 12, starts at 1:30 p.m to 3:00 p.m., at the University of Texas El Paso, Quinn Hall, Room 212.

The safehouse will open on October 13, at 

614 Jorge Estonol 

Colonia Reforma

Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico

Hector Barajas can be contacted at Banishedveteran@yahoo.com or at U.S. area code 626-569-5491 for more information about the safehouse.

The Valenzuela brothers could be contacted at brothersvalenzuela@gmail.com for more information about the banished Veterans.

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