For decades, the United States has recruited non-citizen soldiers to fight in its wars, promising them an expedited naturalization process in return. But not all immigrant veterans have been able to gain citizenship, leaving them vulnerable to immigration detention and deportation, often to countries they have not lived in since they were children.
While the exact number of deported veterans is unknown—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has long neglected its requirements to document the veteran status of detainees—estimates of veterans who have been deported range from hundreds to thousands, according to a 2025 congressional report.
This reporting project covers the failures of the U.S. military to support its service members. In San Diego, long a U.S. military hub, incarcerated veterans still face deportation.
Across the border in Tijuana, a splintered network of deported veterans—historically, Tijuana has been home to many dozens of deported veterans—prepares to welcome new members as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
