Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Vivar.
Hi Robert, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After living in the USA most of my life, I was deported to my country of birth Tijuana Mexico. I was very depressed, lots of anxiety, missed my family, missed the place a grew up, missed my life as it was in the country, I grew up in. Searching for what at that time I did not knw what. Coming out of church one day. I say sign on a door that said deported veterans. Eventhough I am not a veteran, I have many military family members. I walked in and liked what that office was doing to help deported veterans in their own struggle away from home. i felt I had found what I was looking for. people I met their took me to a place called Friendshgip Park and Border Church. This place on the most south/ western part of the US. Is a place were familkies that were separated by the broken immigration system, did not have to give up on their family, but rather continue those family ties if even for a few hours every weekend. i did not want to be in Tijuana or Frienfdship Park, I just wanted to come home to the USA. However as I would see these families every weekend visiting, something inside me clicked. I did not have to give up on my family either. Suddenly I started to spend every free moment I had outside of work volunteering at Friendship Par and Border Church. helping deported families like myself to maintain the family ties. The more I helped deported veterans, deported mothers of US citizen children living in exile, the stronger I was getting to endure my own struggle away from my family and home. After several years I cam to terms, that I was in the place that God, wanted me to be and doing his work, by helping families. I realized that I may never make it back home to the US, however, I was ok with that. God had given me a meaning in Tijuana Mexico. This led me to participate in a program from Homeland Security in support of repatriating deported veterans. I was soon very involved in this project and the same time a Law firm in los Angeles took my case pro bono, litigated for several years, untill the Calif Supreme Court heard my case and ordered the conviction that rendered me deported to be vacated. This opened the opportunity for my law team in colaboration with the Director of the IMMVETS program convince the Board of Immigration Appeals to re-open my immigration case and vacate the deportation orders and reinstate my legal residence. On Veterans day Nov 11, 2021. I was able to return home to the USA, with my legal residence reinstated. Being back in the USA, with the opportunity to go back and forth to Mexico, has given me the opportunity to be more effective in my support to deported veterand as well as our deportees and asylum seeking community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Enduring the anxiety, depression, working to make ends meet were a struggle. Their were many challenges to being able to help our deported/ migrant community. many ocasiones very long hours of volunteering in places, hat most people would consider dangerous. However God, was always their with me to give me strenght, endurance, intelligience to handle the obstacles faced.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Executive Director Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Resource Center
Bi- National Coordinator. Student and Faith Group Immersion Border Trips
Immigration and Border Missioneer at Sd Episcopal Diocese.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I dont believe in luck. The bad things in my life were nothing but a preparation for what was ahead for me.
As long as I kept searching for God’s will in my life, to steer me and guide me for his pourpose, regdless of the obstacle the end result was always greater fruit then the struggle. This, what I call education and training has led to my being an active participant, in many hundreds of asylum seekers seeking protection from persecution to be presented to the Port Of Entry for their legal entry into the US to seek protection. Thishas also allowed me to activly participte in the process of many US deported miklitary veterans the opportunity to be repatriated to the US the country they were willing to give their life to defend. Today i have have the opportunity to be part of the leadership that will soon open a migrant women and children shelter in Tijuana Mx. This shelter will offer this polupation a holistic approch to a dignified life while empowering them with the neccessary tools to put them on a path of self determination and self sustanability.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uusdepvets.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeteransWithoutBorders/
