After moving to Canada rather than return to Iraq in 2006, Kimberly Rivera was deported back to the US in September 2012. Her lawyer stated she was singled out for this punishment, even though she’s a pregnant mother of four, to “send a message” to other war resisters, precisely because she spoke out against the war.

From Courage to Resist’s interview with Kimberly Rivera:

“When I saw the little girl [in Iraq] shaking in fear, in fear of me,  because of my uniform, I couldn’t fathom what she had been through and  all I saw was my little girl and I just wanted to hold her and comfort  her. But I knew I couldn’t. It broke my heart. I am against hurting  anyone…what I saw and felt and knew was that when it came down to it, I would not be able to harm anyone else, not for any reason. I would harm   myself first. I felt this also made me a liability to my unit and I  could not let me be a reason for anyone to be harmed—so I left.”

Also see: Democracy Now interview with her husband, Mario Rivera shortly after the sentencing.