Both Barajas and Rodriguez see the bunker as a resource to help orient people when they first arrive in Mexico. “When you’re in Tijuana, there’s a time period where, if people don’t help you, if you don’t get yourself on your feet, you could end up being addicted, end up on the streets, homeless,” Barajas said. “You could end up getting targeted by criminal organizations. They could kidnap you. You could get involved in the criminal organizations. So I think it’s really important to get these guys before that happens.”

Barajas expects recent deportees to stay no more than three to four months. “I want these guys to get work, help them with their IDs. Make sure lunch, breakfast, dinner is there so they can focus on work and getting their situation straightened out,” Barajas said. “Then we can help the next guy.”

While many of the benefits that are available to veterans with an honorable discharge are still available to deported veterans, getting access to them can be difficult outside of the country. For example, the process of securing disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs can often be smoother with medical records from a VA doctor — in the U.S.

In recent years, there have been attempts by the U.S. and Mexican governments to help deportees. In 2007, the Mexican government started one repatriation program that formalized the way people are received. Depending on where they were deported, the program, along with state-sponsored groups and nonprofits, helps deportees make phone calls and get water, snacks, transportation to a shelter and discounts on a bus ticket. However, the help is limited and most deportees can only stay in each shelter for an average of 7 to 10 days, says Enrique Morones, president and founder of Border Angels, a nonprofit group that sponsors a handful of shelters in Mexico. Most deportees rely on extended family, churches and shelters around the city.

“The aid is lacking, especially for people who don’t know Mexico,” said Jeremy Slack, a lecturer at the University of Texas-El Paso who has researched immigration issues for more than 8 years. “In the case of vets, they might never have met the family they have in Mexico. The vast majority of their families are living in the U.S.”