US Army veteran Hector Barajas to return home more than a decade after he was deported to Mexico

A gubernatorial pardon cleared the way for Mr Barajas to return to California

Eight years after he was last deported to Mexico, a US army veteran is returning to California.

A pardon last year from Governor Jerry Brown cleared the way for Hector Barajas, who was living in Tijuana, to secure citizenship. He received word that his request was granted and is set to be sworn in in San Diego next month, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

“Oh my god, this is great”, Mr Barajas said in a Facebook video during which he opened a document confirming the decision while wearing a uniform bristling with medals.

“I’m coming home, mom”, he said, fighting back tears.

Born in Mexico but raised in the Los Angeles area, Mr Barajas enlisted in the Army after becoming a legal permanent resident. He mistakenly believed that serving in the Army would automatically grant him citizenship.

He pleaded no contest in 2002 to a charge of shooting at an occupied vehicle and was deported after serving his sentence. He re-entered the US and was deported a second time in 2010 after being pulled over.

In Tijuana, Mr Barajas founded the organisation Deported Veterans Support House, which sought to help people in situations like his own, and continued working toward achieving citizenship.

He got a crucial assist last year from Mr Brown, who noted Mr Barajas’ military service and work on behalf of other veterans. The governor also pardoned two other deported veterans, a decision a spokesman described to the Sacramento Bee as “a recognition that the individuals served their country and deserve a second chance and a second look.”

Supporters of Mr Barajas said they hoped his case could be an example to others.

“I am ecstatic for Hector that he can finally return home and be reunited with his family”, Mr Barajas’ attorney James Erselius said in a statement. “He absolutely deserves this. His citizenship also gives hope to other veterans like himself who were deported but are still seeking to come home”.

Some 70,000 people born outside of America enlisted in the US military in the first decade of this century, according to the most recent available Department of Defence statistics.