thedrifter
09-28-08, 07:38 AM
Officials increase efforts to assist foreign born soldiers
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September 27, 2008 - 8:46PM
By Allen Essex, Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN - U.S. news/" class="autolink">immigration authorities are now making a stepped-up effort to assist foreign-born soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to qualify for American citizenship, a top federal official said Friday.
Tom Paar, chief of staff for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service, explained the new emphasis on naturalization for military members while in Harlingen to speak at two naturalization ceremonies at Marine Military Academy.
During the morning ceremony, 383 people from 15 countries took the oath of citizenship.
A total of 400 more were invited to participate in the afternoon session, federal officials said.
"In 2002, President (George W.) Bush signed an executive order that basically suspended the requirements for military members serving on active duty to become citizens," Paar said.
"Before 2002, they had to get a green card and then serve three years," Paar said. "Now what we do is to do basically everything we can to expedite the naturalization process for military members."
The process of becoming a naturalized citizen is the same for military members as it is for civilians, Paar said.
Persons who wish to become citizens must have good moral character, have knowledge of the English language, knowledge of U.S. history and government and civics and must take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, he said.
"We have a special unit in Nebraska that handles these applications (from military personnel)," Paar said. There is now very close cooperation between Citizenship and Immigration Services offices and military bases, he said.
The practice has greatly reduced the large number of people from countries such as the Philippines or Mexico who serve in the U.S. armed forces, even for long careers, without ever becoming citizens, Paar said.
"Around September of 2001, there were about 40,000 immigrant members of the military," he said. "Now today, there are about 20,000. We are basically reaching out to every military member who is interested in becoming a citizen."
Some immigrant soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines take citizenship training in groups, some individually, Paar said.
"It's on a case-by-case basis," he said. "Sometimes we catch them at their first unit, sometimes we catch them before they deploy (overseas), sometimes we don't."
There have been cases in which the family of a soldier or Marine killed in Iraq or Afghanistan requests that he or she be given citizenship after their death, said Mark R. Ortiz, district director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, based in San Antonio.
Three recent examples are Marine Corps Pfc. Juan Garza of San Benito, killed in 2003 in Iraq; Army Pfc. Rey David Cuervo of Port Isabel, killed in 2004 in Iraq; and Army Cpl. Joe Rubio, killed this year in Iraq.
A provision in the regulations also allows expedited citizenship for the spouse and immediate family members of the fallen service member, Oritz said.
During the Friday ceremonies, people from Bangladesh, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Japan, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea and Ukraine became citizens.
No armed forces members were sworn in Friday at MMA, but military members routinely participate in the same ceremonies as civilians, Paar said.
INFOBOX:
A new toll-free hotline offers help to armed forces members and their families who have immigration questions or who wish to complete citizenship requirements. That number is 1-877-CIS-4MIL.
Ellie
Comments | Recommend
September 27, 2008 - 8:46PM
By Allen Essex, Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN - U.S. news/" class="autolink">immigration authorities are now making a stepped-up effort to assist foreign-born soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to qualify for American citizenship, a top federal official said Friday.
Tom Paar, chief of staff for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service, explained the new emphasis on naturalization for military members while in Harlingen to speak at two naturalization ceremonies at Marine Military Academy.
During the morning ceremony, 383 people from 15 countries took the oath of citizenship.
A total of 400 more were invited to participate in the afternoon session, federal officials said.
"In 2002, President (George W.) Bush signed an executive order that basically suspended the requirements for military members serving on active duty to become citizens," Paar said.
"Before 2002, they had to get a green card and then serve three years," Paar said. "Now what we do is to do basically everything we can to expedite the naturalization process for military members."
The process of becoming a naturalized citizen is the same for military members as it is for civilians, Paar said.
Persons who wish to become citizens must have good moral character, have knowledge of the English language, knowledge of U.S. history and government and civics and must take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, he said.
"We have a special unit in Nebraska that handles these applications (from military personnel)," Paar said. There is now very close cooperation between Citizenship and Immigration Services offices and military bases, he said.
The practice has greatly reduced the large number of people from countries such as the Philippines or Mexico who serve in the U.S. armed forces, even for long careers, without ever becoming citizens, Paar said.
"Around September of 2001, there were about 40,000 immigrant members of the military," he said. "Now today, there are about 20,000. We are basically reaching out to every military member who is interested in becoming a citizen."
Some immigrant soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines take citizenship training in groups, some individually, Paar said.
"It's on a case-by-case basis," he said. "Sometimes we catch them at their first unit, sometimes we catch them before they deploy (overseas), sometimes we don't."
There have been cases in which the family of a soldier or Marine killed in Iraq or Afghanistan requests that he or she be given citizenship after their death, said Mark R. Ortiz, district director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, based in San Antonio.
Three recent examples are Marine Corps Pfc. Juan Garza of San Benito, killed in 2003 in Iraq; Army Pfc. Rey David Cuervo of Port Isabel, killed in 2004 in Iraq; and Army Cpl. Joe Rubio, killed this year in Iraq.
A provision in the regulations also allows expedited citizenship for the spouse and immediate family members of the fallen service member, Oritz said.
During the Friday ceremonies, people from Bangladesh, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Japan, Libya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea and Ukraine became citizens.
No armed forces members were sworn in Friday at MMA, but military members routinely participate in the same ceremonies as civilians, Paar said.
INFOBOX:
A new toll-free hotline offers help to armed forces members and their families who have immigration questions or who wish to complete citizenship requirements. That number is 1-877-CIS-4MIL.
Ellie