Letter to the editor: Deporting veterans is a disgrace

While politicians claim to “support our troops,” reports of U.S. military veterans and their families being targeted by ICE suggest otherwise.

Jermaine Thomas, born on a U.S. military base to a veteran father, was deported to Jamaica — a country he had never even visited. Purple Heart recipient Sae Joon Park was forced to “self-deport” to South Korea when told he faced imminent ICE arrest. Alejandro Barranco, a U.S. Marine veteran, watched his undocumented father — who has no criminal record — get violently arrested by agents while working in California. In Louisiana, Paola Clouatre, the wife of a Marine and mother to a 3-month-old baby, was detained during a green card interview — while she was still breastfeeding.

These actions are not only cruel, they dishonor the very people who risked their lives for this country.

ICE claims to have internal policies to protect veterans and their families, but clearly, those safeguards are being ignored or bypassed. What message does this send to those who serve — and to future recruits?

Our veterans deserve better than raids, zip ties and deportation papers. If we truly value their sacrifice, we must hold ICE accountable and restore basic humanity to our immigration system.

Karen Primm

Smithton