TIJUANA, Mexico. (KGTV) – A U.S. Army veteran who has been living in Mexico for the past eight years found out Thursday that he is being granted citizenship.
Hector Barajas was granted a full pardon by Governor Jerry Brown in 2017 for a conviction that led to his deportation, according to the ACLU.
In 2001, Barajas was convicted of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and sentenced to prison, leading to the deportation.
Barajas has been waiting for a decision since he passed the English and civic portions of his naturalization requirements in 2016.
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In 2017, Barajas filed a lawsuit in an effort to compel officials to make a decision on whether or not to grant him citizenship. The lawsuit was dismissed after the Department of Homeland Security made their decision.
Barajas was born in Mexico but raised in Los Angeles since the age of seven. In 1992, he became a lawful permanent resident and, after graduating from high school, enlisted in the army in 1995.
Barajas will be sworn in as a citizen in San Diego.
