Pentagon looks to enlist young illegal alien ‘dreamers’ into military

[Janelle2002 3,865]

The Defense Department said Monday it is looking at expanding its application pool by letting some young illegal immigrants join the military, in what could be another tool for an Obama administration seeking unilateral steps to take on immigration reform.

Immigrant rights advocates are pleading with the Pentagon to declare “dreamers” to be vital to the national interest, which would allow them to enlist in the military under a special program that grants non-immigrants a quick pathway to citizenship in exchange for years of military service.

Jessica Wright, acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, said Monday that the Pentagon is in the middle of that review and hopes to complete it by the end of the summer, and is discussing the proposal with the Justice and Homeland Security departments.

“It’s very important to us that we are in concert to things that the White House thinks are very important, and we do too. So we’re looking to move forward on what ‘vital to the national interest’ means,” Ms. Wright said at a hearing in Chicago.

As movement on a broad immigration bill has stalled on Capitol Hill, immigrant rights advocates and Democrats in Congress have called for President Obama to move unilaterally to deport fewer illegal immigrants. The president has asked his homeland security secretary to review policies, but Monday’s hearing signals that the Pentagon is also part of the effort.

Enlistment is generally open only to citizens and legal permanent residents, or green card holders. The one exception is the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest program, which allows the department to take other recruits whom the Pentagon deems crucial.

Only those with key medical or language skills qualify, and Spanish is not deemed a critical language.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who orchestrated Monday’s hearing, urged the Defense Department to declare all young illegal immigrants who have taken advantage of Mr. Obama’s 2012 nondeportation order — known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival — to be eligible for the military accessions program.

“If you are willing to sign up in our military and risk your life for America, you should be given that opportunity,” Mr. Durbin said.

Those who have received the deferred action hold tentative legal status to remain in the U.S. and have been granted work permits. Many states are granting them in-state tuition rates at public colleges. They call themselves dreamers after failed legislation known as the Dream Act.

More than 500,000 dreamers have been granted deferred action status, and an estimated 65,000 illegal immigrants graduate from high schools in the U.S. every year, the Defense Department said.

Mr. Durbin said given potential recruiting challenges for the military, the Pentagon could open another pool of applicants if it let dreamers qualify for the national interest exception.

Once they are enlisted in the military, they would have a speedy pathway to citizenship.

Immigrant rights advocates hoped not to have to rely on Mr. Obama. They thought Congress might pass the Enlist Act, officially granting dreamers a chance to join the military.

Indeed, Democrats and a handful of Republicans hoped to offer that provision as part of the debate on the annual defense policy bill, which comes to the House floor this week

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/20/pentagon-looks-enlist-illegal-immigrants-seeking-c/#ixzz32ImojxzX
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[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Figures. Not good enough for green cards but good enough as cannon fodder. Welcome to America!

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Figures. Not good enough for green cards but good enough as cannon fodder. Welcome to America!

Same thing I was thinking.

Front liners on the battle field.

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Yup. Canon fodder. "We can't get rid of them, let's send them to war and get them killed."

Just remember, kids. Friendly fire, isn't.

[Jacque67 7,328]

How sad.

[Pooky 3,784]

It's a sad state of affairs, when experienced service personnel are being cut, yet young, illegal aliens are being encouraged to enlist. That is no way to run your military.

[lostinblue 1,989]

. Los Zetas Pays a pretty Dollar for trained personal by our military.

Edited May 21, 2014 by lostinblue

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Yup. Canon fodder. "We can't get rid of them, let's send them to war and get them killed."

Just remember, kids. Friendly fire, isn't.

I don't remember Cannon fodder being a MOS option

Geez People

[Darnell 8,478]

so, these DACA apps f'ed up the adjudicator pools with CSC and VSC, forced the local service centers to adjudicate (poorly) on our I-130s for 11 months and now this azzhat of a President wants to put them in our military?

F that, and F no....

[Janelle2002 3,865]

so, these DACA apps f'ed up the adjudicator pools with CSC and VSC, forced the local service centers to adjudicate (poorly) on our I-130s for 11 months and now this azzhat of a President wants to put them in our military?

F that, and F no....

So, what do we as Americans do to stop this? Please let me know what your plan is. We on VJ will support you.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Service in the US Armed forces as a path to citizenship has a long history, as do RW hackpieces slanting a story for political cheap shots.

Much ado about nothing, let's move along people.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Service During Hostilities : By Executive Order Number 13269, dated July 3, 2002, President Bush declared that all those persons serving honorably in active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States at any time on or after September 11, 2001 until a date to be announced, are eligible to apply for naturalization in accordance with the service during hostilities statutory exception in Section 329 of the INA to the naturalization requirements. This means that individuals with even one day of honorable active duty service can apply for citizenship, regardless of how long they have been a resident. Note: Under this provision, individuals who apply for citizenship after discharge must present a DD Form 214, with service characterized as "Honorable," or "General." Those with other characterizations (including Entry Level Separation), are not eligible.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Service During Hostilities : By Executive Order Number 13269, dated July 3, 2002, President Bush declared that all those persons serving honorably in active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States at any time on or after September 11, 2001 until a date to be announced, are eligible to apply for naturalization in accordance with the service during hostilities statutory exception in Section 329 of the INA to the naturalization requirements. This means that individuals with even one day of honorable active duty service can apply for citizenship, regardless of how long they have been a resident. Note: Under this provision, individuals who apply for citizenship after discharge must present a DD Form 214, with service characterized as "Honorable," or "General." Those with other characterizations (including Entry Level Separation), are not eligible.

So we get to blame this on Bush!! Yaaaa!!!

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Service During Hostilities : By Executive Order Number 13269, dated July 3, 2002, President Bush declared that all those persons serving honorably in active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States at any time on or after September 11, 2001 until a date to be announced, are eligible to apply for naturalization in accordance with the service during hostilities statutory exception in Section 329 of the INA to the naturalization requirements. This means that individuals with even one day of honorable active duty service can apply for citizenship, regardless of how long they have been a resident. Note: Under this provision, individuals who apply for citizenship after discharge must present a DD Form 214, with service characterized as "Honorable," or "General." Those with other characterizations (including Entry Level Separation), are not eligible.

He is actually right..

This time

[ready4ONE 5,400]

He is actually right..

This time

Not really, I pulled a little Lefty disinformation, the new proposal does modify the policy to include non-LPR's. So there is a policy change here in the new proposal. But obviously there has been a long history of non-US citizens benefitting from service in our Armed forces.

Assuming that the new policy includes the requirement for honorable service I think I can support it as a path to resolve illegal status.