SGT Barco - Help Purple Heart Veteran
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Sgt. Jose Barco, a 39 year old U.S. Army Combat Veteran and Purple Heart recipient, is currently sitting in an Aurora ICE detention facility awaiting removal from the very country he fought and bled for although he has no country to go to.
Sgt Barco did what most Americans don’t and he did it because this country gave him and his family a home as they fled the Cuban regime.
Sgt. Barco's story is a stark reminder of the injustices faced by non-citizens who choose to fight for the country they know to be their only home.
After sacrificing his body and mind for our country, he's being abandoned.
Imagine this:
- A car bomb or Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack leaves you with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), injuries that are left unaddressed and later punished for.
- You are then allowed to Reenlist and cleared to be sent back with your unit for a 15 month deployment.
- The military and USCIS loses your naturalization application. The very system you served fails you.
- After the Military deems you no longer fit for duty, you are Medically Retired, untreated, WITHOUT citizenship because your paperwork was lost and ignored in the system.
- Compounded trauma leads you to bad choices and the criminal justice system to which your sentence is then to be made an example out of.
- After serving a 15yr sentence, NOW you're being deported to a country you barely know, without the medical treatment you earned and so desperately need.
This is the reality Sgt. Jose Barco faces.
He served. He bled. He sacrificed. And now, he's being cast aside.
He's a man who gave everything, only to be betrayed by the system he trusted.
We must act.
Let's show Sgt. Barco that he is not forgotten. Let's demonstrate that we value the sacrifices of those who serve, regardless of their immigration status.
This GoFundMe aims to provide Sgt. Barco with the support he desperately needs. Your contributions will help him:
- Assist with current legal fees.
- Secure basic necessities if he is forced to rebuild his life in a foreign country.
- Provide initial payment for medical care needs as his family navigates the complicated and slim chances at accessing the Foreign Medical Program the VA offers in some countries.
- Provide some measure of comfort and support during this incredibly difficult time.
Every donation counts. Please share this campaign and help us give Sgt. Barco the support he deserves.
Thank you.
Co-organizers (1)
Tia Barco
Organizer
Richmond, TX
Caridad Barco
Co-organizer