dozens of U.S. Military veterans live right here in
juarez Mexico and they can see the US every day but
they can't go. They have been banished from the country
they served the country they grew up in and the country
where their families live but now they are fighting
back detachment A 10 trip present arms. These U.S.
Veterans put their lives on the line for the United
States now they are banished from the country. They
served living in exile in juarez Mexico just across the
border. The U.S. Government expelled them after they
committed felonies deported and separated from loved
ones. They rely on one another to survive parade rest.
Ivan Ocon leads the exiled community at ease as the
director of the veterans support house. He works day
and night to assist his brothers and sisters in arms
like I said it's pretty all this is making sure they
receive the benefits they're owed. As veterans will
fill it out. Joe hawkins home in juarez is a living
museum of its time in the U.S. Army, three army
commendation medals, three army achievement but 44 year
old served for nearly seven years including a
deployment to Jordan's during t Iraq war. Was a very
high speed soldier. You know wh I mean I was I wasn't
scared while other soldiers were jumping over a while
and going stepping around the mud. I was diving into
the mud and crawling through it and You know that that
was me soldier also covering auctions, walls are ph
of his daughter in the US he hasn't seen her in 15
years. What it feels like to be so close yet so far
like this is the darkness and that's the light.
O'Connell was born here in Juarez but moved to the us
with a green card when he was only seven. He grew up in
Las cruces New Mexico feeling as american as any other
kid. It just felt like home like that's where the home
that were my family was at When he turned 18. He
decided to give back to his adoptive country. I will
defend and still drive die for this country if I have
to. Two decades later the U.S. Deported him to Mexico
after he served nine years in prison for aiding and
abetting unarmed kidnapping. Oh khan says he wasn't a
participant but was aware of his brother's action in
the crime and failed to report it. I should have
stopped him but I mean there's nothing I could do. You
know it's too late for that. All right here this is the
my original uniform from basic training the U.S. Has
been deporting green card veterans convicted of certain
crimes for decades for a con and every other exiled vet
deportation would have been entirely prevented had they
become citizens during their military service. But
misinformation and red tape oft get in the way a lot
of veterans commit mistakes do crimes and guess what
Their citizens they go back right into the world with
their families Just 50 miles away in the us in las
cruces New Mexico or consist er and nephew take regular
walks to a local mural honoring Akane and other
deported vets. I come over here and I pray as if it was
him. I asked God to bring him home alive to keep him
safe. Mexico is really ugly right now and it's violent
and there's there was a shooting not too long ago just
blocks from his house in broad daylight. That's what he
does when he's feeling a moment. He comes over here and
he hugs our brothers for the first time in years. Many
deported veterans have hope after the biden
administration promised change for now it's just
words. Little action has been taken so far to bring
people home like Ivan Okan, tired of waiting Akane and
Yale law school clinic recently joined forces to
petition for his return and to set a precedent for
hundreds of similar cases. If they want to repatriate
deported veterans, they should start with Mr O'Connor
Casey Smith is one of the students representing or co
She says the law has changed in his favor since he was
deported in 2016. The crime for which he was convicted
is no longer considered a crime of violence and cannot
be um an aggravated felony bar to his naturalizatio
Yeah. The ball is now in the Biden administration
court. The students recently submitted a cons
naturalization application urgi the government to
expedite it today. How hopeful are you that you'll soon
be home with your daughter I don't want to commit 100%
to it. But but it's close, you know, it's close in the
meantime broken and fellow deported vet process
Francisco Lopez help. Just about anyone experiencing
hardship in juarez. Lopez served in Vietnam and was
deported 20 years ago after serving prison time on drug
charges. A risk my life in Vietnam and they didn't care
You know, they just threw me out like a trash Now 76
Lopez says broken skates makes him hopeful. He and
other exiled vets could also soon come home. I don't
know my grandkids, that's the reason I want to go back
so I can meet my grandkids. Yeah man, this is where the
porter veterans stayed and this and that and we got
tomorrow The veterans support house or bunker is Lopez
home. They feel safe in here, deported vets who need
shelter can stay for as long as they need to one time
we had 12 staying here over the years, many deported
vets have died in exile or from the people they had
died here at the border towns for now. It's only after
their death that their bodies are allowed to go back to
the U.S. To be buried at a military cemetery. But
thanks to the relentless work of advocates like Lopez
and a con that could soon change for some of them