That desire turned first into a military career. He enlisted in the
Marine Corps right out of high school, and later he put himself through
college. Then he decided he hadn't done all he wanted to do in public
service so he joined the Border Patrol, and just like everything else
he pursued in life, he dedicated himself to tirelessly serving others
and serving his country. Sadly, that service was cut short when he and his family, while out
on a fishing trip on a Sunday afternoon, were ambushed by two men who
tried to rob them. The clash turned violent. Javier immediately thought
of protecting others before himself so he jumped into action to fend
off the attackers and defend his family. Tragically, he was killed by the two men--illegal immigrant criminals
who had been reportedly deported but managed repeatedly to find their
way back into the country, even after committing serious crimes. What a
testament to the great need we have to strengthen our border security
and justice system to keep us all safe. Now, there is no denying that Javier Vega, Jr., was taken from his
family, his community, and from all of us far too soon. So while we
consider the fallen this week, like Javier, and their lives of service,
I hope we can also take time to consider how we can better support and
serve those who have promised to defend us to the point of risking
their very lives.
Identified stereotypes
Associating undocumented immigrants with criminality and violence.
Keywords matched
deported border security Border Patrol illegal immigrant