This immigrant served in the US military. Now he faces deportation | Donald Trump News
Immigration Advocates Rally for Deported Navy Veteran in San Diego
SAN DIEGO — A small group of advocates convened outside the federal courthouse in San Diego on Thursday to support Benito Miranda Hernandez, a U.S. Navy veteran currently detained by immigration authorities.
James Smith, founder of Black Deported Veterans of America, held a poster featuring Hernandez in his military uniform adorned with three medals. “This is my brother, Benito Miranda Hernandez, U.S. Navy veteran,” Smith stated, emphasizing the plight of immigrant veterans like Hernandez who face deportation.
Hernandez, brought to the U.S. from Mexico as an infant, completed three tours during the Iraq War, which he hoped would secure his citizenship. Instead, he is one of many immigrant veterans caught in a controversial immigration enforcement environment under the Trump administration, which prioritizes deportations for individuals with criminal records.
“These men and women were promised that they were going to get their citizenship if they served,” Smith said, urging support for Hernandez to return home.
Hernandez, who recently finished serving a sentence for a drug conviction, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 14, moments after his mother, Maria Miranda, arrived to pick him up. “He was doing things right,” she told Al Jazeera in Spanish. “He had so many hopes, so many dreams.”
He is currently held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego and faces deportation, despite having recently received his green card. Advocates pointed out that while the number of deported veterans remains unclear—due to ICE’s lack of tracking veteran status—reports highlight a rising trend in deportations during Trump’s presidency. The New York Times recently noted that at least 34 veterans have been placed in deportation proceedings over the past year.
Some cases have garnered media attention, but many veterans remain in the shadows, concerned that speaking out could jeopardize their immigration status. “As ICE raids continue across the country, some veterans without citizenship will unfortunately fall through the cracks,” said Robert Vivar, co-founder of the Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Resource Center in Tijuana.
Veterans often face detention while navigating the immigration process. Danitza James, president of Repatriate Our Patriots, noted that veterans may be flagged for prior convictions or outstanding warrants. She indicated she is in contact with six veterans who have been detained by ICE in 2026 alone.
“The government does not value the service of our immigrant veterans,” James said, emphasizing the urgency of addressing their plight.
For decades, the U.S. military has actively recruited immigrants, promising expedited pathways to citizenship for those who serve. However, many, like Hernandez, encounter delays in their naturalization process, often exacerbated by criminal convictions. Hernandez’s citizenship application was denied after he finished his last deployment due to complications arising from his legal history.
The current situation reflects broader issues within U.S. military and immigration policies, advocates contend. Several bills aimed at protecting immigrant veterans are under consideration in Congress, but recruitment efforts targeting immigrant communities continue with the promise of expedited citizenship.
At the rally, a representative from a local immigration nonprofit expressed interest in assisting with Hernandez’s case. Meanwhile, his mother has been managing the emotional toll of his detention while maintaining contact with him through phone calls and visits on weekends.
“It’s hard for me to make the two-hour drive from Anaheim to San Diego,” Miranda said. “When I saw him last Saturday, he was very, very depressed. He said, ‘I don’t want to cause you any more problems. I’m doing things right. I’m praying for myself.'”
Miranda’s heartfelt remarks highlighted not only her son’s struggles but also the broader challenges faced by veterans caught in the immigration system: “They clipped the wings of a bird, and all the hopes he had. They threw them in the trash.”