Deported veterans in Phoenix push for change

    PHOENIX (KNXV) -- Veterans living in Phoenix are raising awareness about former service members being deported.

“Because I was gone for 10 years, it was like coming back from a really long deployment,” said Milton Tepeyac, a Marine Corps veteran previously deported.

“We fall through the cracks,” said Alex Murillo, a Navy veteran.

As ABC15 previously reported, Murillo and Tepeyac were deported to Mexico after being convicted of marijuana-related charges.

Under the current law, non-citizens can join the military but are still vulnerable to deportation unless they are naturalized.

However, according to the National Immigration Forum, "…there are about 94,000 immigrant veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who have not naturalized."

Murillo and Tepeyac said veterans may get involved in drugs or alcohol to cope with problems caused by the military.

“It’s no secret some of our soldiers get in trouble after returning home from our tour of duty,” said Murillo.

“Some of them will get deported for DUI, some of them will get deported for cannabis,” said Tepeyac.

Murillo said deported veterans need help including lawyers and VA health care.

“We should take care of our veterans, we should try to fix those wounds,” he said.

Even though some progress has been made under the Biden administration, more work is needed.

Both men are hoping lawmakers will make deported veterans a priority moving forward.

“We are hopeful that a lot of our candidates that pro-veterans that they do get into those offices that would allow us to come back home,” said Murillo.