'Soy Nero' looks at plight of 'green card soldiers'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- "Soy Nero" is a movie that looks at the plight of so-called "green card" veterans who are deported, and it screened in Los Angeles for the first time at a fundraiser Tuesday.

The movie tells the story of a veteran and undocumented immigrant fighting to stay in America as he faces deportation.

"They are prepared to risk their lives for their flag. Yet, there is something horrible that happens to many green card soldiers," director Rafi Pitts said. "To give you an outline - there are 100,000 green card soldiers in the U.S. Army and 8,000 of them have been deported after having served."

The special screening and fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles benefited Familia Unida. Organizers said the movie highlights a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

In 2008, the Department of Defense reported there are 65,000 non-citizens and naturalized citizens serving in the armed forces. Some of those green card soldiers have been deported after committing crimes, including writing bad checks and petty drug offenses.

"We're trying to bring awareness to the importance that every human counts. We need to figure out how to communicate. Tonight's viewing is about just educating the community about real-life stories," said Irma Resendez, founder of Familia Unida.

Pitts said he hopes the movie educates the public about an issue few people know about and that it finds a way to allow green card soldiers to return to the country they want to call home.