Thompson takes stand on immigration

The Sioux City Journal ^ | November 13, 2007 | Charlotte Eby

[kabar]

There are 30,000 non-US citizens serving in the military now. They must prove that they are legally here to join, i.e., have a green card.

[kabar]

One caveat, the foreign national must prove he is legally here, i.e., show he has a green card.

[Elyse]

Non-citizen soldiers sure seem like a bad idea to me. Really bad. Fall of the Roman Empire bad. What is that saying about failing to learn from history?

I've never understood why anyone would think that non-citizen soldiers were a good idea. It sounds just insane to take any illegal alien that comes forward to express the desire to join our military and hand him a gun and uniform and ship him off to one of our military installations to learn all about our nation's security from the inside. Foxes guarding the hen house sounds like a better idea to me.

[Polybius]

Anyone who honorably serves this country in the military and is honorably discharged should be eligible for citizenship. Otherwise, don’t let illegals join the military. There are two ways of looking at it. The military is either breaking the law by hiring illegals or it serves as a means of providing them legal status. Which is it going to be?

The way illegal aliens join the military is the third way: Identity fraud which constitutes "fraudulent enlistment".

By Michelle Malkin • October 17, 2004 04:36 AM ...... Last week’s issue of People magazine has a brief article about Liliana Plata, an illegal alien from Mexico who allegedly entered the Air Force by pretending to be Cristina Alaniz, a student at Texas State University. According to news reports, Plata was able to join the Air Force using identity documents she had purchased on the black market in Los Angeles for about $2,000. Plata argues that she should be spared punishment for fraud, and be spared punishment for violating our immigration laws, and be spared for deceiving the U.S. government because she served honorably in Iraq.

Fraudulent enlistment is specifically addressed by UCMJ Punitive Article 83: Fraudulent enlistment, appointment, or separation which states that fraudulent enlistment is punishable by:

(1) Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 2 years.

Therefore, in accordance with the UCMJ, you cannot combine the military crime of "fraudulent enlistment" with an "honorable discharge".

[pallis]

Thanks for all the information, and God bless your stepsons TexasRedeye. I hope everything works out for them soon.

[Kevmo]

Hunter’s criticism of Thompson over this issue is well aimed. We need someone in the white house who isn’t a johnny-come-lately on this issue.

Road to Des Moines Conversions on Immigration (Hunter Press release)
News Which Cannot Lose ^ | 10/25/07 | Duncan Hunter/staff
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1916889/posts

[ontap]

That’s was the intent of my post. An illegal would just have to go home and enlist from there. I suppose that would be possible although I freely admit ignorance of that aspect.

[ontap]

A Mexican national can walk across at any border town and visit a recruiter I would think. Any one who fights in our military beside our guys should get an easier pathway to citizenship IMHO!

[CottonBall]

I absolutely reject the concept of illegals being permitted the honor of joining our military.

It makes no sense at all to have a citizen of another country fighting to defend our country. What about when the oath they take when joining our military conflicts with their citizenship in their native country? People shouldn't have allegiences to two countries. With dual citizenship, they are like fence sitters - can't decide one way or the other, but want the benefits of both.

[CottonBall]

Offering citizenship will get some out of the shadows...

LOL! Where do you live? There are none in the shadows here in Mexifornia. They are in the streets, rioting and demanding everything be in Spanish and demanding 'rights'. They are hardly hiding - which is actually what they should be doing. Just as any criminal should be doing. And handing them citizenship just rewards their illegal behavior, while punishing those that have been abiding by our laws and have been paying their fees and waiting in line. You know - those that would actually be proud to be American, learn the language, and assimilate.

[Tennessee Nana]

“Thompson said the country shouldn’t accommodate illegal immigrants, and that people who are here illegally shouldn’t set the terms or bargain for the circumstances under which they are allowed to stay.”

Finally something FRed and I agree on...

If only he meant this though....

ILLEGAL ALIENS AND THEIR APOLOGISTS ARE ANTI-IMMIGRATION

[Tennessee Nana]

“Where do you get the idea that the military is enlisting illegals?”

The DREAM Act

[Tennessee Nana]

“Should the military ever start enlisting illegals, it should be a means of achieving legal status. How’s that?”

The idea stinks.....

[Tennessee Nana]

Say HUH?

Enlisting in the US military is not like getting a job...

An illegal alien uses fraudulent ID to get a job but the military do thorough background checks on everything ...

just what do you think the military is? A chicken farm?

[Tennessee Nana]

“The fact is, that 99% of those here illegally couldn’t qualify for our military. The educational requirements would exclude most of them.”

Their criminal background would exclude them ALL

[Tennessee Nana]

“The military does enlist illegals “

NO, NEVER...

The US military NEVER enlists illegal aliens...

[kabar]

You don’t enlist in the US military by going “home.” The only way that a non-US citizen can enlist is by becoming Legal Permanent Resident of the US, i.e., have a green card.

[Tennessee Nana]

Do you ever go back and read what you have written?

After you sober up, I mean...

[Tennessee Nana]

When a Registered Alien, (A REAL immigrant with an ALien Registration Card AKSA “Green Card”) applies to enlist in the US military, the military do a background check back in the person’s OWN country as well as the US...

I doubt if an illegal alien could falsify the documents to the point of passing the scutiny of such a indepth investigation...

Family members and past neighbors, school teachers and employers are questioned...

All documentation is queried...

The applicant must prove beyond a “sworn testimony” that he entered the US legally...

Its a lengthy process and takes months sometimes...

This is not a job at McDonald’s...Can you start today?

Illegal aliens have no desire to serve our country in the military...how many lawsuits by the ACLU have there been?

[kabar]

I am well acquainted with the process. I served 8 years in the US Navy. Our laws preclude illegal aliens from joining the military, but, by law, illegal aliens are required to register for the draft. Strange but true.