The wife of a former Marine received a notice that she will be deported on Aug. 3, despite efforts to allow her to stay in the U.S., Military Times reported.
Former Sgt. Cuauhtemoc "Temo" Juarez was an infantryman who served in the Marines from 1995 to 1999. His wife, Alejandra Juarez, crossed illegally into the U.S. in 1998. They got married in 2000, according to Military Times.
The family’s separation comes amid the Trump administration’s stricter enforcement of immigration laws. During previous administrations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deferred separation and allowed Juarez to continue residing in the U.S., according to Military Times.
Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., supports Juarez remaining in the U.S.
“Alejandra deserves to stay in the country she has called home for over 20 years, the country her husband patriotically served… the only country her two American-born daughters have known,” Soto said, Military Times reported.
Soto filed the Patriot Spouses Act and another bill on behalf of Juarez; both bills have earned bipartisan support but have not yet been taken up in committees, Military Times reported.A legal team from the firm of Maney, Gordon, Zeller P.A. has taken on the Juarez case pro bono.
“The United States has a lot of policies in place to protect veterans and active duty and their families, and it is absolutely, incredibly, frustrating that these are not being made available to the wife of a decorated veteran who has served overseas multiple times,” said attorney Chelsea Nowel, Military Times reported.
Juarez’s immigration case is among thousands of others in the military community, with approximately 12,000 spouses of native-born, active-duty members serving in the U.S. military facing deportation, said advocacy group American Families United, The Orlando Sentinel reported in June.