Dear Activist,
In honor of Veterans Day, an annual national holiday on November 11, we see it best fit to shed light on deported and maladjusted veterans. Throughout the past decade, there have been more than 760,000 non-citizens enlisted in the military. In exchange for their service, the government grants them citizenship; in certain cases, these people are being deported rather than naturalized when found guilty of crimes.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), states that at least 92 veterans were deported from 2013 to 2018. Because the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not record data on vets, many specialists who work with these victims believe the number is higher. Hector Barajas-Varela, interviewed by High Country News, is a deported veteran and founder of the Deported Veterans Support House in Tijuana, Mexico. The Support House “promotes the naturalization of veterans.” After California Governor Jerry Brown pardoned him, Barajas-Varela said he knows of at least 300 veterans who have been deported and suspects thousands more.
ICE has formed policies for cases regarding noncitizen vets who are at risk of being deported. That being said, ICE does not consistently abide by those policies or identify those people. According to CNN, ICE has not “developed a policy to identify and document all military veterans it encounters during interviews.” Additionally, when officers are aware they have encountered a veteran, ICE “does not maintain complete electronic data.”
CNN states that when ICE agents learn that a veteran may be deported, they are “required under agency policy to take additional steps to proceed with the case.” Those policies would guarantee that vets receive suitable levels of review before they are placed in removal proceedings.
The Mental Health of Veterans
The GAO states that 2.1 million vets were in need of mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs between 2006 and 2010. The National Veterans Foundation mentions that “only 50 percent of returning vets who need veteran mental health treatment will receive these services.”
The list of mental health issues these veterans face is ongoing, with the most common being depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As these people seek help, they experience personal embarrassment, long wait times to get treatment, shame, and a lack of awareness and understanding towards mental health problems.
Withdrawn from the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, the number of suicide deaths per year have increased between 2005 and 2018. The average number of adults in the United States who die by suicide each day continues to rise. In 2005, approximately 86.6 American adults, including Veterans, killed themselves daily. Since that year, the “average number of Veteran suicide deaths per day has remained between 17 and 18, despite decreases in the size of the Veteran population.”
Activate Change
Veterans put themselves at risk to ensure the safety of their country. They exhibit selflessness and their actions should not go unnoticed. Prioritizing the rights and health of these people is imperative. We must remain outspokenly grateful to have these people on the front lines defending us. Bettering our systems and giving veterans a comfortable life as civilians is our responsibility to demand. We are the driving force of societal, national, and international change.
- Advocate to diminish the stigma surrounding mental health issues. You can spread awareness through social media, putting up posters, and by initiating conversations among your peers.
- Spend time volunteering at a veteran organization.
- Provide food and other necessities to vets who are unable to support themselves.
- Volunteer for Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit organization that helps vets get medical assistance.
- Provide a service dog for veterans, which can help with PTSD, brain injuries, and physical injuries.
- Send a letter or care package to a vet! By validating the importance of veterans’ service, you are helping them lead better lives.
- Initiate the conversation. In order to help veterans, stay educated and inform others of the hardships vets face.
The effects of war impact veterans on a daily basis. We have the ability to use our voices to benefit those who deserve justice. These people sacrifice their well-being for the protection of their country; we must refrain from remaining oblivious to the risks they had to undergo. It is up to us to seek change and act on our thirst for fairness. There are numerous reasons we should express gratitude towards veterans; everyday should be Veterans Day.
Cordially,
Nika Tarkian