The Associated Press reports that Miguel Perez, an Army veteran and green card holder who was deported to Mexico in 2018, is in Chicago this week pleading his case in immigration court to become a U.S. citizen.
The 41-year-old Perez has a green card as a permanent U.S. resident, but after serving time for a 2008 nonviolent drug conviction was deported last year. Then last month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a pardon, erasing the conviction and reviving Perez’s chances to become a citizen. Federal immigration authorities granted Miguel Perez Jr. a two-week parole into the U.S. for an immigration hearing, according to his attorney. His immigration hearing is today (Wednesday, September 25), but it’s unknown when immigration officials will decide the case.
Veterans are eligible for a pathway to citizenship, though some do not complete the process and remain vulnerable to deportation if they subsequently commit a removable offense. The deportation of veterans has been controversial given the sacrifices that have been made through military service. Perez is among several deported military members who have been recently pardoned by Democratic governors. His particular case has received wide support, including from Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a veteran who said Tuesday that Perez should never been deported in the first place.
“Miguel Perez was willing to protect our nation in uniform and his experiences after coming home—including the great lengths he went to reform his life—show us why we should never give up on our combat Veterans. While he shouldn’t have been deported in the first place, I’m glad he’s received this parole after Governor Pritzker granted him clemency to attend his citizenship hearing, and I wish Miguel the best of luck. It will be a proud day for our country when we can call Miguel a fellow American.”
MHC