“. . . his support for a national program that would allow illegal immigrants who serve in the military to become citizens. “
Huh?
Does this newspaper, or Perry himself, confuse illegal immigrants with non citizens? People commonly do that in their argument and it is offensive, but governors and newspapers do know better.
I have served alongside many such troops who seem devoted to this country. Illegal immigrants are in a completely different category, in fact.
From About.com:
In order for a non-citizen to enlist in the military, he/she must first be a legal immigrant (with a green card), permamently residing in the United States. It’s important to note that the military cannot and will not assist in the immigration process. One must immigrate first, using normal immigration quotas and procedures, and — once they’ve established an address in the United States — they can find a recruiter’s office and apply for enlistment.
i personally know this is not always true. An Arabic speaking young man with a particular specialty was recently inducted into the U.S. Army at the American Embassy. He certainly had no Green Card.