Laura Meza, who was deported as a U.S. Army veteran struggling with PTSD, said she had resigned herself to the idea that she would never see her family in the U.S. again. 'I didn't want to die out there. I'd rather die over here where all my family is.'
— When she was deported from the U.S. in shackles, Laura Meza was a 28-year-old single mother and U.S. Army veteran struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, a crippling drug addiction and deep regrets over a series of mistakes that had led to her banishment.
She met her 2-year-old granddaughter for the first time. She hugged her daughter and sister, who were 9 and 18 when she was deported from the U.S. Meza's father, stepmother and niece were also there to welcome her with flowers. "We are profoundly grateful for the service and sacrifice of military service members, veterans, and their families," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement to CBS News. "We are committed to helping veterans access the benefits and services to which they may be entitled."Once a little-known symptom of complicated and unforgiving U.S. immigration laws, the issue of deported veterans has gained significant national attention in recent years.
Many deported veterans like Meza have attributed their crimes to PTSD, which affects those who served in the military at higher rates than the general public. Meza's legal troubles started soon after. Following several arrests, Meza in 2007 pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in Washington, D.C. She received a 30-day prison sentence for the marijuana offense, as well as a 2-year suspended sentence for the attempted robbery conviction from a judge who also ordered her to get drug abuse treatment during her probation.
After enlisting in the U.S. Army, Laura Meza, center left, was deployed to Iraq. / Credit: Courtesy of Laura MezaThe program that allowed Meza to come back to the U.S. is a small government operation run by a handful of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicators, two ICE agents and a CBP official.
to record these cases for many years. However, the number is believed to be at least in the hundreds. The Biden administration program has already received over 300 inquiries from potential deported veterans. Others may be eligible to gain U.S. citizenship if they served in the military during a period of hostilities, such as the Vietnam War or anytime after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But veterans who have certain criminal convictions are ineligible for this naturalization process due to a "good moral character" requirement.
She is well-aware of her lingering PTSD symptoms and mental health needs, and is planning to get treatment through the VA. She also knows she's a different person than the 28-year-old who was deported in 2009.
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