A deported Army veteran’s case has triggered a congressional challenge in Georgia. A Navy veteran launched a political campaign after alleging a breakdown in due process for former service members.
Tony Kozycki, a former naval officer and attorney, told Military.com the deportation of Army veteran Godfrey Wade pushed him to challenge Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), arguing the case exposes broader gaps in how non-citizen veterans are handled in the immigration system.
Veterans who are lawful permanent residents can still face deportation, sometimes without fully contesting their cases in court.
“What pushed me over the edge was the Godfrey Wade case,” Kozycki told Military.com in an interview on Tuesday.
Wade, a lawful permanent resident who served during the Cold War, was deported after a prior removal order tied to a missed immigration hearing, according to reporting on the case. He was removed while an appeal to reopen his case remained pending.
Repeated outreach to McCormick’s office over Wade’s case went unanswered for months, according to Kozycki, who said he contacted staff multiple times seeking help reviewing the deportation.
“I told them that if they weren’t willing to help, I would run against him,” Kozycki said.
Military.com reached out to McCormick’s office for comment.
Missed Hearing, Pending Appeal Triggered Veteran’s Deportation
Cases like Wade’s are not uncommon, particularly for lawful permanent residents who receive deportation orders after missing court hearings.
“This is a very common situation,” Sophia Genovese, a supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown Law’s Center for Applied Legal Studies, told Military.com.
Genovese said those cases can stem from breakdowns in the notification process, with notices sometimes sent to the wrong address or never received.
“You can’t know what you don’t know,” she said, adding, “There are no special protections for veterans.”
Kozycki said Wade’s case underscores the need for policy changes, including greater oversight of how immigration cases involving veterans are handled.
A proposal introduced by Democratic Rep. Norma Torres as a congressional amendment to military legislation would have expanded due process protections for noncitizen veterans facing deportation. It failed earlier this week due to the Republican majority.
Two Veterans Set Up Georgia Showdown
McCormick, a physician and military veteran, has served in Congress since 2023 and represents Georgia’s 7th District, a suburban area north of Atlanta that has leaned Republican in recent election cycles.
Kozycki said that if elected, he would introduce private legislation directing the Department of Homeland Security to reopen Wade’s case and allow him to receive a hearing.
The case has drawn attention from other state lawmakers. Rep. David Scott (D-GA) said Wade was “entitled to due process” in remarks in February, urging federal officials to reconsider the deportation.
Kozycki’s entry sets up a potential veteran vs. veteran showdown in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, where Democrats are competing for a chance to challenge McCormick in November.
A former F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot, Kozycki is framing his military service and legal background as central to his campaign, saying they give him firsthand experience navigating both the defense and immigration systems.
“I don’t think we have shared values in that sense,” he told Military.com, drawing a contrast with McCormick.
McCormick has emphasized national security, defense policy and military readiness during his time in Congress.
Kozycki said his campaign is centered on veterans’ issues, shaped by his experience navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system and his legal work representing clients in immigration and criminal cases.
He pointed to concerns about access to care, delays in disability benefits, and immigration enforcement policies that can affect noncitizen veterans, arguing those gaps can leave some former service members without full legal protections.
He also raised concerns about U.S. military operations tied to tensions with Iran, arguing future missions should have clearly defined objectives approved by Congress.
“Anything that’s approved by Congress is going to have defined objectives and goals,” Kozycki said.
Crowded Democratic Primary Gets Bigger
Kozycki is entering a Democratic primary field that is expanding, with candidates offering different credentials as they compete for a chance to challenge McCormick in November.
Larry Long, a former Environmental Protection Agency mediator, has spent more than two decades working on environmental policy, regulatory programs and dispute resolution.
Case Norton, a filmmaker and union camera technician, is positioning himself as a working-class candidate, emphasizing labor rights and economic issues.
Jayson Toweh, an environmental scientist and doctoral student, has centered his campaign on public health, veterans services and access to care.
The primary is scheduled for May, with the winner advancing to the general election.
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