Polk woman, deported in 2018, helps Rep. Darren Soto promote Protect Patriot Spouses Act

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, has reintroduced the Protect Patriot Spouses Act, which would protect spouses of military members from deportation.

Alejandra Juarez, a Davenport-area resident, and her teenage daughter, Estela, joined Soto on Tuesday for a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol. Juarez, the wife of a retired Marine, was deported in 2018 but has since been allowed to return to the United States temporarily under humanitarian parole.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Coral Gables, joined Soto at the news conference. She is a co-sponsor of the legislation, along with Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-California.

Soto described a pledge he made to the Juarez family after accompanying Alejandra to the airport as she prepared to leave for Mexico in 2018.

“Under the Biden Administration, we were thrilled to see Alejandra receive humanitarian parole and return to Central Florida to be with her family,” Soto said. “However, this is only a temporary fix and has left the Juarez family in a state of limbo. With the Protect Patriot Spouses Act, we will create a permanent solution for Alejandra and other military families in similar situations.”

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The Protect Patriot Spouses Act would render military spouses eligible for adjustment to permanent resident status by amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to remove the inadmissibility standard because of an unlawful entry into the United States by the migrant spouse, Soto’s office said in a news release. It would also allow eligible veteran spouses who have already been removed or voluntarily departed the United States to apply for an immigrant visa from abroad and then become authorized to return to the country while their application is pending.

The measure was included as a provision in the Veteran Service Recognition Act, which passed in the House of Representatives in December. It has not been voted upon in the Senate.

"Deportations are cruel and inhumane and they tear families apart," Alejandra Juarez said. "Military families sacrifice so much to serve this country. No service member should have to worry about his or her spouse facing deportation."

Estela, 14, also spoke at the news conference. Last year, Macmillian published “Until Someone Listens,” a picture book based on her writings about her mother’s plight.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County woman deported in 2018 joins Soto to promote bill