Service Members, Not Citizens: Meet The U.S. Veterans Who Have Been Deported

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http://www.npr.org/2016/01/13/462372040/service-members-not-citizens-meet-the-veterans-who-have-been-deported

During World War II, thousands of Americans lied about their age to enlist in the military. During the Iraq war, Daniel Torres lied about something else. "I didn't want to be just another Mexican living in the U.S. I wanted to say I'd done something for the country," said Torres.

Torres' parents came to the U.S. legally, but overstayed their visas — leaving him without a green card. But in 2007, with the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan peaking, a Marine Corps recruiter in Idaho was happy to rush through the formalities. Social Security number? Check. High school diploma? Check. Criminal record? None.

"Well, what about your birth certificate?" Torres remembers the recruiter asked. "I'm from Mexico," Torres said. "He's like, 'Well, come back Monday.' " Torres came back Monday with a U.S. birth certificate — it was fake, but for a good cause, he thought.

He deployed to Iraq, near Fallujah, in 2009. When his unit came home and started gearing up for a tour in Afghanistan, Torres lost his wallet. When he tried to get his ID replaced, his story came apart. Instead of going to Afghanistan, Torres wound up in Tijuana, Mexico, unable to return to the country for which he had fought.

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