Deported U.S. Marine Veteran Daniel Torres Granted U.S. Citizenship

Torres became the first deported U.S. Marine Veteran to earn U.S. Citizenship.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

April 21, 2016

San Diego, CA - On Thursday, deported U.S. Marine Veteran Daniel Torres was granted U.S. Citizenship just a day after he was allowed to reenter the country with a humanitarian Visa for a federal court hearing about his status. A federal judge decided to grant Torres full citizenship. He was sworn in as a citizen by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hours later. 

Torres, a former U.S. Marine was deported five years ago to Mexico for enlisting with fake documents. Torres is the first deported Veteran to be granted U.S. Citizenship. 

Torres posted on his Facebook account, "I want to thank Hector Barajas at the Deported Veterans Support House and Jennie Pasquarella from the ACLU, all my family, everyone that has helped the DVSH. without any of you this would have never been possible, I promise you our challenge has just started, I might be the first, but I will not be the last. There will be no rest until all brothers and sisters of this great nation have returned home, for we do not choose where we are born, but we can choose who we are loyal too.
I solemnly swear..."

Torres was one of many deported Veterans who have been deported for minor crimes and are seeking citizenship status to return to the U.S. with the help of the ACLU-CA and the Deported Veterans Support House (DVSH), a non-profit organization in Tijuana, Mexico.

The DVSH was founded by Hector Barajas, a deported U.S. Army Veteran. Barajas is the managing director of DVSH and is seeking to return to the U.S. as well.

On Wednesday, a press release by U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced that he led a group of veteran members of the U.S. Congress to introduce legislation that would help deported veterans to reunite with their families in the United States. The bill "Restoring Respect for Immigrant Service" would also prevent the removal of service members and veterans in the future.

Specifically, the bill urges the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to use his powers under current law to readmit veterans into the United States who have been deported and who have not committed a serious crime. The bill also limits the current grounds of deportability to prevent the removal of a service member or veteran who has served at least 6 months in the military and who has not committed a serious crime.
U.s. Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA), Charles Rangel (D-NY) and José E. Serrano (D-NY) are original co-sponsors of the legislation.