U.S. army veteran who's been twice on service trips to Afghanistan gets deported to Mexico

An army veteran was denied citizenship and deported to Mexico, despite having served two tours in Afganistan and taking an oath to protect the States.

The 39-year-old Miguel Perez joined the military in 2001 and thought he legally became a citizen of the United States. However, he was denied citizenship because of a drug conviction.

As reported by CBSNews, Perez had PTSD when he returned from Afghanistan, and had turned to drugs and alcohol as a means to cope.

He was arrested in 2008 when he sold cocaine to an undercover officer. Perez took responsibility for his crime and acknowledged his guilt.

He served seven years in prison and used his time behind bars to get a degree. He also worked as a teacher's aide during his incarceration.

In March 2018, Perez pleaded with Immigration officials to be granted citizenship 'retroactive to when he joined the military' seventeen years ago.

Nevertheless, he was detained by Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials and was held in Wisconson before being handed over to Mexican authorities on March 23, 2018.

The statement released by the Enforcement agency said they every matter is handled on a case-by-case basis, and positive factors are taken into considering when dealing with veterans who served the country.

When Perez was first detained, Senator Tammy Duckworth spoke up in his defense, saying that he earned the opportunity to remain in the United States.

She described the decision to deny him his citizenship as 'another example of our nation failing him once more.'

Duckworth also blasted the Trump administration for deporting veterans 'from the same country they risked their lives to defend,' and said these actions were 'shameful.'

Perez feels as if he's facing death by being deported to Mexico, and said he would rather die on American soil, a country he fought for, then dying in a place that is not his home.