Deported Veterans: Confronting an American Injustice
Join us for a profound exploration into the lives of those who served honorably and were cast aside. This is a call to learn, embrace empowerment, and take collective action for our veterans in exile.
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Panel Details
Join us for an evening centered on a panel of veterans, advocates, and legal experts who will illuminate the lived reality of deported U.S. service members—an injustice many have never heard about, but none can forget once they do. Attendees will hear firsthand accounts, learn what meaningful change requires, and take part in small‑group conversations designed to spark thoughtful questions and collective action. This is a chance to listen deeply, engage courageously, and stand in solidarity with those who have served yet been left behind.
Date: Monday, April 27th
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110
The Panelists
Ali Brown
Speaker
Tammy Lin
Ali Brown is the Supervising Attorney for the Veterans Legal Clinic, providing free legal services to veterans, service members, and families. She previously served as a trial attorney in San Diego, and holds a PhD in Philosophy and a JD from the University of San Diego, where she held key editorial and advocacy roles.
Speaker
Tammy Lin is an immigration attorney and professor of practice at USD’s Immigration Clinic. She runs a solo practice, advises San Diego County on immigration issues, and is a former two-time AILA San Diego Chair and frequent speaker on asylum and refugee matters, including various media outlets such as 60 Minutes. She earned a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Livy Lazaro
Speaker
Retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Livier “Livy” Lazaro serves on the National Subcommittee on Deported Veterans and commands VFW Post 7420, the first woman in its 67-year history to do so. A former combat medic, she mentors repatriated veterans, advocates for legislation, and helped secure the return of her friend, deported veteran Laura Meza.
Bob Blessing
Speaker
Elena leads community movements for the Veteran Service Recognition Act. She has spent ten years building essential support webs for exiled veterans residing along the border regions, bringing grassroots perspectives to our panel.
The Facilitators
Robert Vivar
Facilitator
Nick Straub
Robert Vivar is Executive Director of the Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Resource Center and Interim Immigration and Border Director for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. He advances policy, legal advocacy, and cross‑border humanitarian work, supporting repatriation efforts and leading immersive border‑policy programs for academic, faith, and civic partners.
Facilitator
Nick Straub is an MDiv student at the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego. With a bachelor's in philosophy from UC San Diego and experience at the San Diego Rescue Mission as a Community Life Ambassador, he is committed to fostering dignity, community, and compassionate service in faith‑based contexts.
The Deported Veteran Crisis
Many United States veterans — people who have fought, sacrificed, and in many cases been permanently injured on our behalf — are vulnerable to deportation, threatened with the possibility of being banished to another country. The idea seems inconceivable, incompatible with basic notions of justice, yet it is true. As of February 2024, more than 40,000 non-citizens were serving in active or reserve military roles, and an estimated additional 115,000 non-citizens in the United States are veterans. Military service, even in combat, does not guarantee citizenship, and the naturalization process is often slow, complex, and inaccessible. When a non-citizen veteran makes a mistake, they face double punishment: the criminal legal system and the threat of exile.
Many service members carry deep physical and psychological wounds. The VA reports that 29% of Iraq War veterans developed PTSD, and more than 20% of veterans with PTSD also struggle with substance use disorders. Veterans with PTSD are significantly more likely to become involved in the criminal system. These are individuals who need support, not additional harm.
Adding insult to injury: non-citizen veterans who are deported are separated from their families and their home, face numerous dangers in foreign countries, and often lose access to the medical treatment they are supposed to be guaranteed. We do not even know how many veterans our country has deported. Some estimates go as high as 10,000, but we just do not know. Chronically undocumented and under-reported, deported veterans suffer in the shadows, forgotten by a nation they fought to defend. This should not be tolerated, and we do not have to accept it. Please attend our panel and learn how we can raise awareness and right this wrong.
More than 40,000 Non-Citizens in Active or Reserve Military Roles
All vulnerable to deportation because of lack of citizenship
Thousands Of Veterans Deported
Estimates go as high as 10,000 veterans exiled but we do not know the exact number.
29% Of Iraq War Veterans Developed PTSD in Their Lifetime
Veterans suffering from PTSD changes drastically depending on the era and wars fought. Percentage only incudes living veterans at time of study, not those that died and suffered from PTSD.
More than 20% Of Veterans with PTSD Have a Substance Disorder
Resulting in an increased likelihood of criminal activity. Veterans with PTSD are 61% more likely to end up in the criminal legal system than veterans without PTSD”
The Veteran Service Recognition Act
A bipartisan bill first introduced to congress in 2017 (and reintroduced regularly including as recently as 2025) the Veteran Service Recognition Act would go a long way in helping address the crisis. First, the bill requires the government to study and report on veteran deportations from 1990 to the present, thereby bringing the crisis fully into the light. Second, the bill makes it easier for non-citizens in the military to become citizens by directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) to implement a program that allows non-citizen service members to file for naturalization during basic training, or as early as otherwise possible. Third, the bill increases oversight and institutes the formation of the Military Family Advisory Committee: a councilor body of 9 members that would be appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security. This group would provide recommendations to Homeland Security on all cases – except those tied to serious crimes – involving deportation proceedings for service-members, veterans, and their families, offering an extra-layer of protection and discretion. Fourth, the bill creates opportunities for deported veterans not convicted of serious crimes to apply for legal resident status, bringing potentially thousands of lost heroes home. Currently, the bill is stalled in Congress and requires our support. Check out the links below to learn more about the bill and how your voice can ignite change.
Resources
Learn More
Access key reports and legal studies that examine the systemic challenges and historical precedents leading to the removal of non-citizen service members.
Advocates & Personal Stories
Learn from the lived experiences of displaced veterans and find inspiration in the creative advocacy projects fighting for their return.
Veteran Support
Discover essential resources for legal aid and specialized support services dedicated to assisting and repatriating our nation's displaced heroes.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about the stories and struggles of our deported veterans. Your attention is the first step toward confronting this American injustice.
inspire. Encounter. Reflect. Act.