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Andres Bonilla | all galleries >> Galleries >> characters > Medalla-de-deportacion-1.jpg
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Medalla-de-deportacion-1.jpg

Jerry came to California when he was 3 years old undocumented with his grandma; his dream was to serve in the army so he enlisted as a paratrooper, after several tours he came back to work as roofer and he admits he had trouble coping so he started using drugs. He went to therapy with his army buddies and they were waited for him, they wanted to know about his immigration status; he was told not to worry he was a veteran. He was deported immediately; he was left in Tijuana with his broken Spanish. The next day he went back to the US, he jus walked in. He was caught a month later and banned for life from the US. He told me he used to make 30 dollars an hour as a roofer, now he makes 30 cents an hour. He lives in this small place where he helps other deported veterans. The worst part is not staying with his daughter, his wife told him her health is deteriorating and she believes is the stress, she told him she loves him but she needs to move on. He still believes his actions are the reason for his deportation, he should not have gotten involved with drugs, he should have not taken for granted his legality. I always thought I was an American, he told me.


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regi olbrechts15-Feb-2013 07:42
Story and photograph are impressive, sad, but oh so worth doing
V.