SAN DIEGO — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained US Navy veteran Benito Miranda Hernandez at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego on June 14, 2026. The detention followed his release from prison after completing a sentence for a drug conviction and initiated deportation proceedings against him.

Hernandez was brought to the U.S. from Mexico as an infant and completed three tours of duty with the U.S. military during the Iraq war. Earlier in 2026, he received a green card for permanent residency. In 2006, Hernandez had a citizenship interview, but his case was denied.

Maria Miranda, Hernandez's mother, lives in Anaheim and visits him during the facility's visiting hours on Saturdays. She recounted a recent conversation with her son. "He said, 'I don't want to cause you any more problems. I don't want to upset you any more, Mom. I'm doing things right. I'm praying for myself,'" she said. Miranda added, "He was doing things right." She also stated, "He had so many hopes, so many dreams." Regarding a recent visit, she said, "On Saturday, when I saw him, he was very, very depressed." She added, "They clipped the wings of a bird, and all the hopes he had. They threw them in the trash."

James Smith, the founder of Black Deported Veterans of America, organized a demonstration on behalf of Hernandez outside the United States federal courthouse in San Diego. A small group of advocates attended the event. Smith stated, "These men and women were promised that they were going to get their citizenship if they served." He urged, "Help this brother come home." Smith also said, "The United States government is failing to take accountability for what they've created." He added, "You bring us in and strip us of part of our humanity so that we can kill without repercussions." Smith concluded, "Then, when you get out, there is no process that gets you ready to be in the civilian world."

Hernandez said he found it difficult to reintegrate into civilian life after leaving the military.

Why It Matters

The detention of Benito Miranda Hernandez involves a U.S. Navy veteran with combat experience and permanent residency status facing deportation proceedings following a criminal conviction. This situation arises despite laws meant to protect immigrant service members and veterans, with reports indicating that ICE has not consistently collected the veteran status of those it detains, which is a requirement. The New York Times reported in March that at least 34 veterans have been placed in deportation proceedings in the last year.

Several bills designed to protect immigrant veterans are currently under consideration in Congress. Organizations advocating for deported veterans describe a pattern where non-citizen service members are promised citizenship for their service but then face deportation, sometimes after struggling to adjust to civilian life. Danitza James, president of Repatriate our Patriots, who is a veteran and naturalized citizen, is in contact with six veterans detained by ICE in 2026 alone.