Jeremy Hinzman
Jeremy
Hinzman was a United States soldier in the elite infantry division, the
82nd Airborne.
He served in Afghanistan and, after returning to America, heard they were being sent to Iraq.
Hinzman thought the war would only benefit the likes of then Vice President Dick Cheney's old company Halliburton, which gained the lions share of post-war rebuilding contracts.
He also didn't believe the stated reasons for the Iraq war.
So, one night he drove north to Canada to seek asylum. He is currently living in Vancouver with his wife Nga Nguyen and daughter Liam. His case is in Canadian courts to achieve refugee status.
Update: He is currently living in Toronto with his wife Nga Nguyen
and son Liam. His refugee claim was turned down in March 2005 by the
Immigration and Refugee Board. This decision was upheld by the Federal
Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, and on November 15, 2007 the
Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.
On July 21 2008 their daughter Meghan was born in Toronto.
Jeremy and his family was ordered to leave Canada by September 23, 2008, or face deportation to the United States where Jeremy would be turned over to the US military to face punishment for desertion. A judicial review of this decision was denied by the Federal Court in June 2009, but on July 6, 2010, the Federal Court of Appeal, citing serious flaws with the immigration officer's decision, ruled in favour of Jeremy and ordered a review of his application to stay on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds.