Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Veteran Service Recognition Act because it is time to bring our deported veterans home.

Five years ago, I led a delegation of lawmakers to meet with a group of deported veterans at a support house in Tijuana, Mexico.

Most of those folks joined the military after 9/11, putting their lives on the line to defend American freedom and the freedom of our allies thousands of miles away.

When they enlisted, our Nation gladly accepted their service--and if they would have perished on the battlefield, they would have been buried as American heroes right here in the United States. When they came back home and struggled, they were kicked out of the Nation they would have died to protect.

Mr. Speaker, I represent San Antonio, Texas, known as Military City USA. From how I see it, deporting our veterans is one of the worst acts of betrayal that our Federal Government can commit.

The Veteran Service Recognition Act will right the wrong by providing an opportunity for deported veterans to apply for permanent residency, and it will help current and future servicemembers apply for naturalization for themselves and their families.

This bill is about doing the right thing for those who served. It is time to bring our deported veterans back home.

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