Deported Veterans: An Immersive Exhibit and Mural Project
Photo by Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana
Photo by Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana
Photo by Carlos Moreno
Photo by Carlos Moreno
Photo by Carlos Moreno
This immersive exhibit sheds light on the lives of non-citizen U.S. military veterans who served their country—only to be expelled from it. Non-citizens have enlisted in the U.S. armed forces since the Revolutionary War, yet military service has never guaranteed a path to citizenship or permanent residency. The vulnerability of these veterans has intensified since the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996, which introduced harsher deportation provisions. As a result, thousands of veterans—many of whom arrived in the U.S. as children—have been permanently banished from the country they risked their lives to protect.
This multi-sensory exhibit invites the public to reckon with the enduring impacts of this legal and moral crisis by centering deported veterans’ voices and lived experiences. It features:
- Photography – A compelling collection of images taken between 2016 and 2024 in Tijuana, California, and New York City that document the everyday realities of deported veterans. These photographs capture both their resilience and the painful disconnect from the nation they served.
- Listening to Deported Veteran Stories Through Objects that Speak – A participatory audio installation featuring objects personally meaningful to deported veterans. Each object is paired with a recorded narrative that reveals stories of service, sacrifice, and separation.
- Narrative Video – A short-format storytelling piece weaving together testimonial excerpts, archival footage, and personal reflections to deepen visitors’ understanding of the systemic injustices these veterans endure.
- Film Screening of Bring Them Home – A screening of the acclaimed documentary followed by a live Q&A that brings together deported veterans, scholars, and advocates to discuss the urgent need for policy reform and pathways to repatriation.
- Mural Project Installation at the U.S.-Mexico Border – As part of the Painting the Archive initiative, this traveling mural—painted by volunteers and community members in Fresno and San Diego, California in August 2024—now finds a permanent home at the U.S.-Mexico border. The mural serves as both a tribute and a protest, portraying the faces and stories of deported veterans whose patriotism has been met with exile. This exhibit arrives at a critical juncture amid political transitions in both the U.S. and Mexico. It calls for ethical urgency and public reckoning, reminding us that the solutions lie in listening—to stories, to lives, and to the silences left by policies that erase rather than honor.
Events
In August 2024, community mural painting sessions were held in Fresno and San Diego, culminating in the installation of the mural on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border on August 18.
On November 13, Baruch College hosted the Deported U.S. Veterans Immersive Exhibit from 11 AM to 3 PM, featuring student creative works and photography by Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana that honors deported veteran stories. The event included two screenings of Bring Them Home followed by a Q&A with Margaret Cargioli, Alex Murillo, Jean Dorsainvil, James Smith, and Rob Young at 11 AM and 1 PM in the Vertical Building’s Multi-Purpose Room (107); visitors were encouraged to bring headphones and a QR code scanning app.
Poster by Abygai Peña
Photo courtesy of the artist
Image courtesy of the artist
Image courtesy of Annabelle Heckler
Image by Daniel OBrien
Cinthya Santos Briones