Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials deported an army veteran who had served two tours of duty in Afghanistan on Friday following a PTSD-related drug conviction.
Miguel Perez Jr., pictured above in a photo held by his father, was a legal permanent resident living in Chicago. According to CNN, he arrived in the U.S at age 8 from Mexico and had a green card. He faced deportation after being sentenced to prison in 2010 for dealing cocaine while he was struggling with drug addiction — which he says came as a result of PTSD from serving in the army.
Perez retroactively applied for legal citizenship, pointing to both his military service and the danger he would encounter at the hands of Mexican drug cartels. He even went on a hunger strike to protest his deportation. However, the courts rejected his argument in January, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Perez’s lawyer told NBC News that Perez was “dumped in one of the most dangerous areas of the Mexican border” without any money.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) blasted the move, saying: “This is a deplorable way to treat a veteran who risked his life in combat for our nation.”
