When it comes to Kern County, the love for our veterans is strong. We hold parades, paint murals, and create museums in their honor. However, there’s often a group that’s overlooked. The veterans that served our country and later … deported.
“I wanted to do something positive with my life, I wanted to be somebody you know and I guard that wearing the uniform and putting your life on the line would make me feel proud of myself,” said veteran Juan Albert Martinez.
Juan Albert Martinez was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when he was two years old. The son of farmworkers, the family moved around
Bakersfield, Lamont, and Arvin.
At 18, Martinez joined the military not only to find his purpose in life, but to extend his gratitude to his new country for giving him a home.
“It motivated me a lot and I graduated with honors from basic training, I was a high speed soldier I was already ready for the mission and I wasn’t afraid of the challenge,” said Martinez.
Joining the Army in 1997, Martinez was deployed to Iraq and served in Operation Desert Thunder.
Serving in the military was hard, readjusting to civilian life was harder. Eventually struggling with PTSD three months after being discharged.
“I started doing drugs, I started hanging out with the wrong people, I got so involved in drugs that it became part of my life,” said Martinez.
Martinez says this ultimately landed him in prison for five years. When he got out, he assumed that was the end of it, but he was in for a rude awakening. He was being deported.
“When I got notified that you know they were going to pick me up to take me to a federal detention facility, I felt like fainting because I never thought that it would be possible,” said Martinez.
Under immigration law, a misdemeanor crime is enough for a non-citizen to be deported; and a judge cannot take a veteran's service into account.
It’s actually not that uncommon, a Government Accountability Office report found that between 2013 and 2018, 250 veterans faced deportation, some for committing misdemeanor crimes, with 92 of them actually being deported.
Under current policy, deported veterans can apply to return to the United States.
Now living in Irapuato, Mexico, with his two children, Martinez says he’s made peace with his past and occasionally visits the U.S.
“When you do good things, good things happen to you so I figure maybe in the future ill be bale to come back permanently or at least stay for as long as I want,” said Martinez.
As Kern County celebrates Veterans Day, it’s important to remember the sacrifices from all veterans, including those who aren’t able to live here.
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