Posted on 07/05/2002 4:16:59 AM PDT by Pythagoras
WASHINGTON -- 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.
"Our fine service men and women are fighting and winning the war on terror. They deserve the gratitude of all people who cherish freedom," Bush said in a formal holiday statement. A White House paper outlining the change to immigration policy described it as a way to reward noncitizen personnel serving in active duty during the post-Sept. 11 war on terrorism. Citizenship, in turn, will improve the retention of military personnel by allowing them to advance their Armed Forces careers, the White House said.
While legal permanent residency is all that is required to enlist in the U.S. military, only citizens can be promoted to commissioned or warrant officers, or serve in special warfare programs such as the Navy SEALs.
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 bank five years of legal residency before becoming eligible.
More than 31,000 noncitizens are currently serving on active duty -- accounting for between 3 and 4 percent of America's total military personnel -- 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 from Bush's executive order eliminating any waiting period.
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 White House identified three women who will be newly eligible:
-- Marine Corporal Miranda Enriquez, 21, who immigrated from Mexico in 1998. Based at Camp Pendleton, Enriquez is with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which deployed last month and is at sea. She is one of 6,500 noncitizen Marines.
-- Aviation storekeeper 3rd class Lalengbor Okpa, from Nigeria, who enlisted in the Navy in December 1999 and is serving on the USS John F. Kennedy. She is one of the Navy's 15,700 noncitizen personnel.
-- Specialist Michelle Pedro of Guyana, who enlisted in the Army in January 2000 and is stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., one of 5,800 noncitizen Army soldiers. President Carter signed a similar executive order following Vietnam; President Clinton did the same after the Persian Gulf War.
Speaking as a former Marine, at the time of my enlistment a Canadian citizen, I'm not buying into this Bush bunk about improving the retention rate. Fact is (as stated in the article) you're entitled to U.S. citizenship after a three year period. Most enlistments are 3 or 4 years and any person showing potential during that period will be advanced in rank, citizen or not. After three years, should an enlisted person take out their U.S. citizenship, having reasonable academic credentials can go on to become an officer. Shortening the cycle serves no real purpose, except of course, a political one. Bush recently signed a bill giving many illegal emigrants amnesty. This is just more of the same ...
I work at an MOS producing school, and one of the first things we do with the FNGs is have them introduce themselves, tell us why they joined the Army, etc.
Most of the non-native born are there because they want to give something back to the country that took them and their families in; most of the native borns are there because of the college fund or enlistment bonuses, and are not afraid to say that
I forget where, but I once saw a proposal that we should create a foreign legion in the US, composed entirely of citizens of other nations. Let them serve, and serve with distinction, and make citizenship a part of their reward for service faithfully rendered. Makes a lot more sense to me than the blood ties we use now for determining who can immigrate - you know right up front that they've already given something back to the country, rather than coming in and taking without giving in return...
Thank you for your input.
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