Immigrants Serving Active Duty in Military Will Be Immediately Eligible for Citizenship

Associated Press ^ | July 3, 2002 | By Sandra Sobieraj

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush is offering a Fourth of July gift to 15,000 immigrants serving active duty in the U.S. military: immediate eligibility for citizenship. The president was to announce his executive order, which he signed on Wednesday, during an Independence Day celebration honoring veterans in Ripley, W.Va.

"Service in the United States military, particularly in times of conflict, is the ultimate act of patriotism," the White House said in a paper outlining the change to immigration policy. "In addition to rewarding these brave men and women for fighting the war on terror, citizenship will encourage them to remain in the military."

Current rules allow immigrants enlisted in the Armed Forces to apply for naturalization after three years of service, as opposed to nonmilitary immigrants who must wait five years before becoming eligible.

More than 31,000 non-citizens are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, with just over half already eligible for citizenship consideration. The rest, an estimated 15,000 men and women, have not yet completed their three-year wait. It is this group that would benefit by Bush's executive order eliminating any waiting period for personnel serving in active duty during the post-Sept. 11 war on terrorism.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service will work with the Defense Department to set up processing facilities on military bases. Military applications will not be given head-of-the-line priority over nonmilitary naturalization applicants, an administration official said.

The U.S. military requires citizenship or legal permanent resident status of all enlistees.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

More than 31,000 non-citizens are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces...???

Maybe I'm not understanding something, but I always assumed that those defending our nation were American citizens...

[fogarty]

They are referring to permanent residents, who are in the process of obtaining citizenship.

For example, take the case of a woman who immigrates here with her children based on a work or fiance visa. Her children can apply to become American citizens, but they have to wait 5 years or more to go through the conditional resident-permanent resident process. As permanent residents, her children can join the military, even though they may have not been granted citizenship yet.

[Militiaman7]

This is great, but Mr.President it would be nice if you take Uncle Sams advise:

[Libertarianize the GOP]

.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

They are referring to permanent residents, who are in the process of obtaining citizenship...

Thanks for the clarification on that.

Just so I understand, they are not however, natural-born citizens, correct?

Thanks-
:*)

[AAABEST]

I am one of the biggest anti-illegal immigrant posters on this forum.

This does not bother me however. I love legal immigration and love people that serve this country. If this makes it easier permanent residents to get through the horrid INS bureaucracy I say God bless them.

[Frohickey]

You don't have to be a citizen to be in the Armed Forces. Permanent residents can be enlisted. To be commissioned, you have to be a citizen though.

[Ruckerduck]

It was my understanding that membership in the US military was a way for non-citizens to gain citizenship - when I was in the Service I met several Filipinos (sp?) doing just that. This certainly isn't something new.

[warchild9]

This is the most honorable way for a non-citizen to gain their citizenship. The tradition goes back thousands of years in a hundred different cultures. Even...gag...the French (as service in the Foreign Legion grants one French citizenship).

[warchild9]

Oh, and the tinhat crowd are saying Bush is actively recruiting non-citizens for the military (which he is) because they'll be less hesitant about firing on American citizens when it comes time. Seems like they didn't have a lot of trouble laying fire on women and children at Waco...

[warchild9]

Oh, and the tinhat crowd are saying Bush is actively recruiting non-citizens for the military (which he is) because they'll be less hesitant about firing on American citizens when it comes time. Seems like they didn't have a lot of trouble laying fire on women and children at Waco...

[warchild9]

Apologies for the double-post.

[Hacksaw]

Sepoys

[stumpy]

On March 8th 1965, Maurice (last name forgotten) swore allegiance to both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Constitution right next to me. He did that to speed the process of becoming a United States Citizen. He came to be known as "Frenchie" (French Canadian) amongst the men he served with in 1/9 (First Battalion, 9th Marines), also known as the "Walking Dead". He was one hell of a man.

[DoctorMichael]

................15,000 immigrants serving active duty in the U.S. military: immediate eligibility for citizenship.............

Why am I suddenly remembering THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Gibbon?

[Jhoffa_]

The U.S. military requires citizenship or legal permanent resident status of all enlistees.

Good enough for me.. Bring 'em in.

[warchild9]

The Romans recruited barbarians for a lot of reasons, most of them involving the fact that there were few "real" Romans left, as that nation ceased to exist after the Augustine reforms (which granted wide citizenship rights in an effort to pick up new taxes). Also, certain German tribes were eager to get at their German neighbors, the pay was pretty good, it was a chance to get away from the family and see the world: all the usual reasons young men join the military.

[DoctorMichael]

Hahahhahhaha!

The six volumes of THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Gibbon (unread as of yet) sits on my bookshelf next to the eleven volumes of THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION by Durant (finished a few years back).

Too many books...................so little time. Hahhahahaaha!