JACKSONVILLE , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Eduardo Gonzalez , a petty officer second class with the U.S. Navy , is about to be deployed overseas for a third time . Making his deployment even tougher is the fact his wife may not be around when he comes back . Mildred and Eduardo Gonzalez worry about what would happen to their family if she is deported . His wife faces deportation to Guatemala -- her home country that she has n't seen since 1989 . He also does n't know what would happen to his young son , Eduardo Jr. , if that happens . `` I like being in uniform and serving my country , but if she goes back I 'm going to have to give it all up and just get out and take care of my son and get a job , '' he said . `` Defending the country that 's trying to kick my family out is a thought that always runs through my mind . '' Gonzalez , who works on helicopters that bring cargo , supplies and military personnel in and out of Iraq , testified before a House Judiciary Committee panel last month , detailing his situation and urging officials to consider some sort of policy to deal with cases like his , where military members ' families could be deported while they 're defending their country overseas . Watch `` they 're tearing families apart '' '' `` I want to serve my country 100 percent . But with this issue in the back of my mind , I feel I ca n't do that , '' he testified on September 6 . The U.S. military does not have a policy to deal with such cases . Each is handled case-by-case , not by the military , but by immigration authorities . The government does n't have numbers on how many military members are in predicaments similar to Gonzalez 's . Immigration officials also said marrying a U.S. citizen does not mean the spouse is automatically entitled to U.S. citizenship or permanent legal status . Lt. Col. Margaret Stock , a member of the U.S. Army Reserves who teaches immigration law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point , New York , said she believes there should be an overall policy dealing with the potential deportation of family members of active duty military members . `` You got to understand . When you 're in a combat zone , you need to be focusing all of your energies on fighting the enemy . You ca n't be worried that your loved ones back home could be shipped off to a foreign country where you 're never going to see them again , '' she said . Stock also said the government is conflicted about how to treat such cases . On the one hand , the government is supposed to be providing military families with assistance , housing and other forms of benefits while their spouses are overseas . On the other hand , the same government is trying to deport the very same people . `` What 's happening right now is , because of the dysfunction and complexity of our immigration laws , we 've got people fighting overseas who are facing the impossible situation of having family members facing deportation back home , '' she said . In Gonzalez 's case , his wife , Mildred , came to the United States with her mother in 1989 when she was 5 years old . They were granted political asylum because of their status as war refugees from Guatemala . In September 2000 , Mildred 's mother applied for legalization and included her daughter in that application . Her mother was granted legal status in July 2004 , according to Gonzalez . However , six weeks earlier , Gonzalez and Mildred got married , canceling Mildred 's ability to apply for legal status through her mother because she was no longer an unmarried daughter under the age of 21 . As a result , her legal status still remains in jeopardy . A judge in June granted her a one-year extension to remain in the United States . If her legal status does not change by June 8 , 2008 , she will have 60 days to voluntarily leave the country or face deportation . That 's just fine , according to Mark Krikorian , the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies , which lobbies for tougher laws on illegal immigration . `` What you 're talking about is amnesty for illegal immigrants who have a relative in the armed forces , and that 's just outrageous , '' he said . `` What we 're talking about here is letting lawbreakers get away with their actions just because they have a relative in the military . ... There 's no justification for that kind of policy . '' Gonzalez said that type of response is unjustified . `` I 'm trying to make his country better -- my country better -- and it should be her country too . '' Gonzalez himself entered the country legally , crossing the Mexican border with his family when he was about 10 . He joined the Navy as a so-called `` green-card sailor '' and became a U.S. citizen in July 2005 . The military does accept some immigrants who are n't U.S. citizens . `` I understand the laws have to be followed and guidelines and a system must be maintained , but on the other token , there are times when the situation is just out of their reach , '' Gonzalez said . His wife , Mildred , added , `` We did n't come here to break the law . We just want to feel safe and have a home just like everybody else . '' U.S. Army Sgt. Emmanuel Woko , a member of the Army 's 2nd Brigade , 1st Infantry Division who faces his third tour in Iraq , understands just how Gonzalez and his family feel . His wife and children could be sent back to Nigeria . `` My heart is bleeding on the thought that my wife could be deported back to Nigeria while I am deployed in Iraq , '' he said . `` I am extremely distressed and distracted by the thought . '' That 's a sentiment echoed by Gonzalez : `` We are not asking for anything . We are just asking for our families to stay with us . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gregg Canes contributed to this report .