Veterans from Indigenous Communities Confront Immigration Turmoil

Wed Oct 22 2025 08:04:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Amid an increasingly hostile immigration climate, veterans from indigenous backgrounds face the threat of deportation, despite their service to the nation.

As U.S. immigration policies tighten, veterans like Julio Torres, who served honorably yet fear deportation, represent the larger struggle of over 100,000 undocumented soldiers. Legislative efforts are underway to protect their rights, highlighting the complexities of servitude, citizenship, and national identity.

WASHINTON (AP) — Julio Torres, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, has permanent reminders of his service etched on his skin: the American flag and Marine Corps insignia tattoos signify his unwavering pride. Yet, after battling post-traumatic stress and drug addiction following his deployment, he now advocates for the down-trodden as a pastor.

Yet, Torres, an immigrant from Mexico who legally entered the U.S. at age five, now finds himself caught in a web of fear and uncertainty. With the political landscape tightening under a robust immigration strategy led by President Trump, his heart breaks at the prospect of being torn from the land he served to protect.

“I want to serve my community, not be deported from the nation I fought for,” Torres stated, reflecting on the injustice he feels for himself and others in a similar position.

His story is not isolated; estimates suggest around 100,000 veterans in the U.S. lack citizenship. Many veterans, like Torres, face increased vulnerability to deportation under a climate where military service provides little guarantee of permanent residency.

While toiling with anxiety stemming from the fear of being detained or expelled from the country, Torres recalls the humiliation of being held at an immigration detention center after returning from visiting family in Mexico, despite holding a green card. He articulated his struggle poignantly: “I served a nation, and now I am treated like I mean nothing.”

Legislation introduced by Rep. Mark Takano aims to counter this crisis by mandating Homeland Security to identify veterans among immigrants and prioritize their pathways to citizenship. Recognizing the inseparable nature of military service and their substantial contributions to the nation, Takano shared the sentiment that noncitizens play an essential role in U.S. military strength.

However, the Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration complicates these legislative efforts, making it crucial for discussions around military service and citizenship to become bipartisan rather than party-political battlegrounds.

As Torres and many other veterans navigate this complex terrain, wherein citizenship remains in limbo despite their service, a shared determination to reshape perceptions surrounding immigrant veterans persists. As Torres states, “I love my nation. Even though I may not be seen as part of it right now, I know this is my homeland.”