Posted on 03/15/2026 7:05:57 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
After fighting for almost a decade to gain U.S. citizenship, time is running out for Marine Corps veteran Paul Canton.
He’ll likely be deported soon back to his native New Zealand, despite serving in the U.S. military for seven years, and building a life in Central Florida for more than 25 years.
Canton’s story first hit the news cycle in 2020 when his application for citizenship was rejected by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, even though the former Marine had no criminal record.
Despite the setback, Canton and his family kept working on his citizenship case, gaining support from leaders on both sides of the political spectrum.
However, Canton’s glimmer of hope was torpedoed in February when a federal judge nixed his appeal, bringing him one step closer to leaving the place he’s called home for 35 years.
Paul Canton built a life in Central Florida, got married and raised a family after leaving the Marine Corps in 1998. (Facebook) 'Flawed System' Both Democratic and Republican politicians, especially from Florida, have voiced concerns over Canton’s plight, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with former Congresswomen Val Demings and current representative Daniel Webster, some even offering help to the former Marine.
But Canton feels the U.S. immigration system is flawed, especially when laws aren’t in the books to allow automatic citizenship to veterans who were honorably discharged with no prior criminal transgressions. His attorney, Elizabeth Ricci, was hopeful Canton would receive citizenship on appeal, but that wasn’t the case.
Left with few options, Canton is planning to uproot his life in the U.S. and return to New Zealand.
Canton looks back on his service with pride. His home in Marion County, Florida, is decorated with memories from his life as a Marine.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
Trump should intervene on his behalf.
I agree; Dems will scream racism- “Trump is allowing Australian and South African whites but not Guatemalans.”
It's easier than you think. All you need to register is a valid drivers license, a permanent address and a social security and check off the box on the application that asks if you are a US citizen. (In this guy's case, he thought he was since he was a veteran and subsequently voted)
But that's neither here nor there.
My argument is that it's so easy that you can bet the Democrat NGOs that were taking in all the illegals who entered the country during Biden were providing them assistance in getting SSN's and drivers licenses then illegally registering them to vote
” All you need to register is a valid drivers license”
Sort of. Florida uses the Real ID which verifies US citizenship. While Real ID and ID to vote might be recent things, perhaps that is how he got caught. He tried to vote.
“One thing that’s omitted from citizenship stories is that the decision is up to the losing country, not the gaining country.”
Not true at all. If someone told you that then they are lying about something.
“If you serve honorably, and have sign-offs sufficiently high from unit commanders, that should be grounds for earning your citizenship.”
You have to apply. He never did.
He was here illegally when he enlisted.
He voted illegally in several elections.
“I thought signing up for America’s armed forces was an automatic path to citizenship. I read that years ago. It has been true for hundreds of years.”
Instead of thinking erroneously, think google.
Legal.
Illegal.
There is no gray area.
Thank you for your service.
Too bad you didn’t ensure you were in a legal citizen.
Not my fault.
Your fault.
The part that doesn't make sense is that if he voted illegally in several elections, it seems odd that some Republican public politicians would be sticking up for the guy.
Guess is this is one of those stories where a lot more facts are needed.
There are 30,000,000 illegal aliens.
We cannot accept and adjudicate 30,000,000 sob stories.
Go home.
Now is good.
This I disagree with. Give them a fast pass through the process, sure, but not automatic. If we do that, how many terrorists will join our armed forces, keep their noses clean for four years, get automatic citizenship, then do who knows what?
“Guess is this is one of those stories where a lot more facts are needed.”
Years ago the OP’s would vet the story and put out a perspective review.
Not so, now.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (Hart-Celler Act) was written to prevent the U.S. from gutting European countries of their talent.
As for "someone telling me that" - It's spelled out very specifically in their work visa paperwork. European countries in particular will not let certain professionals emigrate to the United States.
I suspect it's buried because individuals in these "stop-loss" countries would avoid going into certain professions if they knew beforehand that it would prevent them from leaving.
This is the guy who attacked the synagogue here in Michigan last week.
Ghazali, who was allowed into to the US in 2011 as the spouse of a US citizen, was granted US citizenship under President Obama in 2016,
He thought he was a citizen without the ceremony or the nationalization document ???
yup, lieing by omission
I should have known - Military.com is a terrible source, and generally slants left.
When I applied for my first voting card I had to show the election office my nationalization document to prove I was a citizen
This story has so many holes
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