A Gulf War-era Marine who served the United States for seven years and built a life in Florida for more than three decades is now facing deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — to a country that may no longer recognise him as its own. Paul Canton, who enlisted in the US Marine Corps in March 1991 and was honourably discharged in 1998, has exhausted his legal options after a federal judge denied his final appeal in February. He has no criminal record, has US citizen children, and has lived in Ocala, Florida, for the better part of 35 years.
The cruelty of Canton's situation lies in what joining the Marines cost him. When he agreed to serve in the US military, America stripped him of his Australian citizenship — leaving him effectively stateless. Born in New Zealand and raised in Perth, Australia, Canton arrived in the United States as a teenage exchange student, overstayed his visa, and was recruited into the Marines during the Persian Gulf War era. His recruiter, he said, promised him citizenship upon an honourable discharge. 'I was told, if I got an honorable discharge, then I would get citizenship at the end of my tour, automatically,' Canton said. That promise, he has maintained ever since, was never honoured.
A Two-Week Technicality
A federal judge ruled in February that although Canton enlisted during a designated period of hostility, he did not qualify for citizenship because by the time he entered active duty, that period had ended. Canton had enlisted on 29 March 1991 — just weeks before the Persian Gulf conflict formally concluded. The distinction, invisible to a young man who believed he was signing up to serve his adopted country, has defined the next three decades of his life.
Canton's story first entered the news cycle in 2020 when his application for citizenship was rejected by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, despite four years of active duty and no criminal history. He hired an attorney and spent the next several years in the courts. Lawmakers from both parties — including former Representative Val Demings, Congressman Daniel Webster, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — expressed concern about his case, but none offered a legislative solution.
Voting as a Citizen He Believed He Already Was
The legal trap Canton now finds himself in deepened further when he discovered he had voted in US elections eight times since 2004 under the genuine belief he was already a citizen. Under federal law, those votes were cast unlawfully, and they now bar him from any immigration benefit, including sponsorship through his adult US citizen children. His attorney, Elizabeth Ricci, called the result 'an absurd result,' adding: 'When people think of undocumented immigrants, they really don't think of someone who is blonde and blue-eyed, speaks English fluently, entered the country legally, and served honorably in the US Marines.'
Canton does not dispute the facts. What he disputes is the justice of their application to a man who gave up everything to serve the country that is now preparing to expel him. 'I feel like I've been shoved through a crack,' he said.
Only Trump or Congress Can Act
With his options exhausted, Ricci confirmed that Canton's only pathway to remaining in the US is Congress passing a special naturalisation bill or President Trump intervening on his behalf. In recent weeks, Representative Randy Fine (R-Florida) has been in contact with Canton. 'My office is aware of Mr Canton's situation, and we are working with our partners in the administration to determine what options may be available in light of the recent court decisions,' Fine said in a statement. No concrete action has followed.
Canton's family is now making practical arrangements for his departure. 'My oldest boy is going to empty out the house and sell it,' Canton said. 'And that's the end of my time in America. Because I can't come back.' Despite everything, Canton said his identity as a Marine is something no government can strip from him. 'I have earned the title of United States Marine and they're never going to take that from me,' he said.
U.S. Marine was promised citizenship if he enlisted—25 years later found out they lied.
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) March 17, 2026
Now ICE plans to deport him soon as possible.
"I have earned my title of Marine—they're never going to take that from me."
Trump could intervene—but thinks veterans are "suckers" & "losers"… pic.twitter.com/jwrbBRDngy
Canton's case is not an isolated one. Many immigrants who served long terms in the US military expected a path to citizenship, yet recent cases show some veterans still face deportation years after their service. For many Americans, the idea that a person could serve the country honourably and later be deported by the very government they fought for remains deeply difficult to reconcile. For Canton, that contradiction is no longer abstract. It is the reality his family is now being forced to accept.
