DEPRESSING

Special Forces Veteran’s Wife Facing Deportation

Despite a legal provision meant to protect undocumented spouses of veterans.

The wife of an Army Special Forces veteran with 20 years of service under his belt is facing deportation despite legal provisions meant to protect undocumented spouses of military personnel and veterans, Military Times reports. Ret. Sgt. 1st Class Bob Crawford told the publication he and his wife, Elia Crawford, are stuck in “limbo” because the Department of Homeland Security has refused to lift a deportation order against the Honduran native to pave the way for her to obtain a green card. The couple will learn more about Elia Crawford’s fate at a hearing in Virginia on Monday. She fled Honduras amid devastation from Hurricane Mitch in 1999 and married Crawford while he was still on active duty in 2001. The couple later discovered Elia Crawford was under a deportation order, which prevents her from being eligible for a legal provision that would otherwise allow her to remain in the U.S. The Crawfords have sought to have the deportation order lifted for years, but the DHS ultimately declined their request in December. Crawford said his personal situation is at odds with the statements of top Trump officials who stress the importance of helping military families.