'Tears started running down my face,'deported Army veteran says after Gov. Pritzker pardons him [View all]
Miguel Perez Jr., who was raised in Chicago from the time he was 8 years old and had a green card, joined the Army before 9/11 and served with a Special Forces unit in Afghanistan. Before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement put him on a plane to Brownsville, Texas, in March 2018 and escorted him across the U.S.-Mexico border last spring, Perez fought for more than a year to stay in the country. Being granted clemency will allow him to petition for reentry.
After leaving the military in 2004, Perez was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital near Maywood. In November 2008, he was arrested after handing a laptop case containing cocaine to an undercover police officer.
“Miguel Perez should not have been deported. The bigoted immigration policy of President Trump and failed leadership of former Gov. Rauner have caused unfortunate circumstances for a U.S. veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan,” Pritzker said. “In evaluating this request for clemency, I recognize this pardon is not a perfect solution, but it is the most just action to take to allow a U.S. veteran the opportunity to be treated fairly by the country he served.”
https://www.courant.com/ct-jb-pritzker-clemency-deported-veteran-20190830-a5ruyfxaljgelfqhbtc44h44rm-story.html
According to the article former republican governor rauner decided not to help him. But, Tammy Duckworth tried to help and was unsuccessful.