Valley veteran, former CBP immigration officer continues fighting for legal status
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A former military police officer in the Navy and immigration officer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues working to get legal residency in the U.S.
In 2019, Channel 5 News spoke with disabled veteran Raul Rodriguez after a family secret revealed he was not an American citizen.
“I was willing to die for this country, but I can't live in this county,” Rodriguez said. “I was devastated. At that point, I knew I lost everything. There was no turning back."
Rodriguez learned of his legal status in 2018 when he tried helping his brother emigrate from Matamoros.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Valley CBP immigration officer facing possible deportation
During the process, investigators found a birth certificate that showed Rodriguez was born in Matamoros, a secret his father had kept for decades.
“He denied it when they first asked him,” Rodriguez said. “I turned to my dad and said, ‘Hey. It's over, tell me the truth,’ and he just looked down and said, ‘Yeah. You were born in Mexico.'”
Rodriguez had five deployments in the Navy, and had been employed with CBP since 2000.
For nearly 20 years, Rodriguez helped deport thousands of people, and his family’s secret cost him his job.
“Now I fear who I was. I was in law enforcement for so many years, and now I am on the other side,” Rodriguez said.
After being denied legal residency in the U.S., a Dallas judge allowed Rodriguez to stay in the U.S. legally in 2022.
Rodriguez has waited for his visa since then.
“I can't think of anything more shameful than to deport someone who wore a uniform and fought for our freedom,” Congressman Vicente Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez is working to help veterans like Rodriguez who are facing deportation, and helped create the Repatriate Our Patriots Act.
“It’s to stop the deportation of American veterans. These are folks here illegally who are serving their country,” Gonzalez said.
The bipartisan piece of legislation has been at a standstill since it was first introduced. Gonzalez says he plans to refile the bill in January.
As Rodriguez waits for his visa, he said he is working with groups that advocate for veterans. Rodriguez said he still lives in fear that one day he will be deported like the thousands of others he helped deport.
“I'm in a box. I am caged in, “Rodriguez said. “I can't travel more than 25 miles 'cause I’ll hit the checkpoint."
Watch the video above for the full story.
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