Thread: Immigration bill offers a military path to US dream

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washi ... _us_dream/

WASHINGTON -- A little-noticed provision in the proposed immigration bill would grant instant legal status and ultimately full citizenship to illegal immigrants if they enlist in the US military, an idea the Pentagon and military analysts say would boost the Pentagon's flagging efforts to find and recruit qualified soldiers.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, is part of the stalled package of proposals that many in Congress are seeking to resurrect. The proposal, applicable to an estimated 750,000 undocumented residents of military age, stipulates that those who arrived in the United States before age 16, graduated from high school, and meet other qualifications could immediately enter the path to citizenship in exchange for at least two years' service in the armed forces.

Though the overall immigration bill was sidetracked earlier this month amid bitter infighting, the prospect of using military service as one pathway to citizenship appeals both to lawmakers who side with immigration rights advocates and those who want tougher immigration laws and tighter borders.

The DREAM Act is among a series of proposals that make up the immigration bill, the subject of high-stakes negotiations between President Bush and congressional lawmakers from both parties. Proponents urged Bush to use his influence to get it passed, and the president predicted the controversial changes would succeed, despite lingering opposition from some in his own party.

Bill Carr , the Pentagon's acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said the measure should become law because it would be "good for readiness" -- particularly at a time when the military, under pressure from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is struggling to attract high-quality recruits. At the same time, the Army and Marine Corps want to increase their ranks by nearly 100,000 over the next five years.

The prospect of recruiting foreigners to defend the United States has been a charged issue in the past. The Pentagon, for example, has opposed several proposals from leading defense specialists to recruit troops overseas -- a move critics liken to hiring mercenaries.

Using the military service option for select illegal immigrants, however, appears to have widespread support as one way to deal with the burgeoning illegal immigration problem.

There are currently about 35,000 non citizens serving in the US military and about 8,000 join each year to take advantage of an accelerated path to citizenship, according to Pentagon statistics. The government wants to further accelerate the process; about 4,000 immigrants serving in uniform became citizens in 2005, compared with 750 in 2001.

Under current law, only citizens and non citizens who are legal residents and hold green cards qualify to serve in the armed forces. By allowing undocumented residents to serve, the DREAM Act would make hundreds of thousands more young people eligible.

Those who enlist under the provision would become eligible for a so-called Z visa, granting them probationary, or conditional, status as a legal resident -- the first step toward full citizenship. Upon enlistment they would also become eligible for federal student loans and other benefits they are currently denied as undocumented immigrants.

A summary of the provision, a version of which was first introduced in Congress in 2001 but never gained momentum, said that among those who would qualify for military service are high school graduates who are "honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, aspiring teachers, and doctors."

"The DREAM Act provisions would enable a group of highly qualified, ambitious young people to contribute to our society by pursuing higher education or serving in the US Army," the summary adds.

The pool of qualified young people would be significant: The government estimates that there are at least 750,000 undocumented youths of military age in the United States. Only some of them would meet the standards of the DREAM Act, but even 10 percent would equal a typical full year's worth of new recruits.

The Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank, estimates that as many as 280,000 illegal immigrants between 18 and 24 would qualify for the program.

"A significant share . . . may join the military as it offers college tuition and job training benefits, as well as for patriotic reasons," according to a policy paper about the issue drafted by the institute.

Choosing military service could bring expedited citizenship for family members of undocumented residents, according to the institute.

"It's a substantial pool of people and I think it's crazy we are not tapping it," said Max Boot , a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Boot has previously suggested the United States go a step further by recruiting foreigners overseas to serve in the military.

Josh Bernstein , director of federal policy at the National Immigration Law Center, which advocates for low-income immigrants, said most illegal immigrants who would be eligible for military service under the law come from a demographic group that is already disposed toward voluntary military service.

For example, a 2004 survey by the government-funded Rand Corporation found that 45 percent of Hispanic males and 31 percent of Hispanic females between ages 16 and 21 reported they were "very likely" to serve on active duty in the next few years, compared with 24 percent for white men and 10 percent for white women.

"Many of them would naturally otherwise go into it," said Bernstein.

Because the bill makes eligible only illegal immigrants considered high quality -- high achievers with no criminal histories -- the provision has supporters among even those who oppose the overall immigration package and criticize it as "amnesty."

"It is not perfect, but it is far better than some of the ways they are talking about to grant illegals new status here," said retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney , a conservative commentator and military analyst.

McInerney added that those eligible would probably be higher caliber than some of the recruits who have joined the Army, because education and other standards have been lowered in recent years to meet recruiting goals. And they would be making the ultimate demonstration of loyalty to their adopted country, he said, putting their lives on the line.

"This is a very talented generation," added Bernstein. "Many are over achievers. They are poised to make a great contribution if they are allowed. And they are not going anywhere."

Being prior military I can tell you that this bothers me.
The last thing you want when you are in a time of crisis is someone watching your back who is just jumping through hoops and marking time to get the prize at the end.

Soldiers have a true passion and love of country. That is required for the sacrafices that we must make.

This is just another form of drafting people with other agendas who are not 100 percent on board and this is dangerous.

Yeah, great...just what the gangs in LA and elsewhere want..access to our military so they can learn how we fight with advanced weaponry and they can have access to the weapons. Once again, at taxpayer expense.

Didn't our country train those goons, at our expense I'm sure, for the messican miliary who have now decided it's more lucrative for them to use the "skills" we paid for them to learn to help the drug runners ??

GREAT move. NOT!

Proud,

It bothers me too. I don't agree with trading citizenship for service nor do I agree with giving foreigners with questionable allegiance training and inside information into our military business.

It's one thing to induct regiments of foreigners on their soil but pulling them in on ours and giving them citizenship for it is another.

I'm not so sure I would want to be in a fox hole with a Reconquista.

Dixie

Grasping at straws I see. This plan won't work.

Lets call them what they really are "Mercenaries". And what are Mercenaries? They join Military of a country base on "reward" and "profit" rather than "allegiance" or "Principle". Historically this has always happen to countries on the verge of collaspe like the Roman empire. Those who dont learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Originally Posted by Tony_Montana

Grasping at straws I see. This plan won't work.

Hey, Tony, Welcome to alipac..and your quote or whatever the proper name for it is, is funny as heck! Now they mow it....ROFLMAO