SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Some immigrant U.S. Army reservists and recruits who enlisted in the military with a promised path to citizenship are being abruptly discharged, the Associated Press has learned. The AP was unable to quantify how many men and women who enlisted through the special recruitment program have been booted from the Army, but immigration attorneys say they know of more than 40 who have been discharged or whose status has become questionable, jeopardizing their futures.
Back in 2002, in an effort to swell military ranks, President George W. Bush issued an executive order for “expedited naturalization” of immigrant soldiers. In response, the U.S. military created a special immigrant recruitment program called “Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest.” MAVNI rewards non-citizens (who are in the country legally) with eventual naturalization and citizenship when they volunteer to enlist. An estimated 10,000 immigrants are currently serving in the military under this program.
“Since Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 110,000 members of the Armed Forces have gained citizenship by serving in the U.S. military, according to the Defense Department. Many service members recruited through the program have proven to be exemplary. ... In general, the immigrant recruits have been more cost-effective, outperforming their fellow soldiers in the areas of attrition, performance, education and promotions.”
As we know, Trump and his administration are not exactly fond of immigrants, even when they are here legally. And Trump certainly doesn’t want any more of those awful brown people becoming U.S. citizens if he can help it. So the administration is now kicking hundreds of these new immigrant recruits out of the Army, after they have already signed enlistment contracts, taken an Army oath, and in many cases begun training and even been promoted in rank. The action is unilateral; the recruits are given no opportunity to defend themselves, appeal, or otherwise challenge their discharge. And these discharges are “uncharacterized”--neither “honorable” nor “dishonorable”--which conveniently deprive the immigrants of their promised path to citizenship.
“Some of the service members say they were not told why they were being discharged. Others who pressed for answers said the Army informed them they’d been labeled as security risks because they have relatives abroad or because the Defense Department had not completed background checks on them.”
The Pentagon and the Army say they are “unable to explain the discharges or respond to questions about whether there have been policy changes in any of the military branches.” Lest there be any doubt, however, the Trump administration has also suspended the MANVI program entirely:
“Our military must prioritize enlisting American citizens.”
