Immigrant "shocked" to be abruptly kicked out of the military
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Jericka Duncan 1 hr ago
NEW YORK -- For more than a decade, the U.S. has offered immigrants who join the military a fast track to citizenship. But now, some immigrant recruits and reservists say they've been abruptly discharged without being told why.
CBS News spoke to one Pakistani man about being kicked out of the military. He didn't want his identity shown in fear of reprisal if he has to return to his home country.
"The feeling was just that like getting kicked out of your own home," he said. "I was so shocked there was so many tears in my eyes, my hands couldn't move fast enough to wipe them."
He said that on June 11, his recruiter called him and to say the 22-year-old will be discharged, despite the fact that he says he passed a military background check.
He had enlisted in 2016, with hopes of becoming a legal U.S. citizen through a program called Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, or MAVNI. The program began in 2008 as a way for the military to find people with special medical and language skills. In return, the foreign-born recruits were promised a path to citizenship. Since 2008, more than 10,000 people have enlisted through MAVNI.
Last year, the Department of Defense suspended the program and announced new changes for current foreign recruits which included increased background checks. But several foreign-born reservists and recruits have reportedly been discharged without any real explanation.
U.S. Army officials issued a statement to CBS News saying: "Any recruit, to include those recruited through the MAVNI program, who receives an unfavorable security screening is deemed unsuitable for military service and is administratively discharged."
Tom Duncan, from the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said there are still a lot of questions.
"What exactly is happening, who is getting deported," he said. "A lot of questions and not enough answers so far."
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For the NT members who have served. Would love to hear your thoughts about what's going on here.
Any of you served with immigrants?
This is pure bullshit based on the information available at the present time.
Yes, I served in combat in Vietnam with US soldiers from the Philippines, Samoa, Thailand and I know of others but these four guys were in my platoon, one in my squad.
I would sure like to find out all the information on this and what is exactly the reason for them being discharged.
Yes, it's still developing so I don't want to reach any conclusions yet. I'm hoping that this isn't a new policy but I do recall an article that spoke about discharging immigrants in this program.
This is the story from NPR if you think that there is bias in the reporting.
Thank you for linking this story. Sounds like there are several issues that have contributed to these discharges. 1) .The new security background requirements are cumbersome and the system is not prepared to handle the volume .2) there isnt a clear policy in place from the WH on how to handle these recruits.
Thanks for the link...This is stunning, it's beyond belief..This year the Army has to recruit a huge number of people and they are paying all sorts of bonuses for people to stay in and to people to join that have certain skills....This screwed up program makes no sense at all.
A/noon Kavika...Hmm there are some working with US forces who are not even US citizens..this was just in our news y/day...
Five years after Australia's combat operations officially ended in Afghanistan, an elite Australian soldier remains on the front line in the war-torn country, fighting Islamic State (IS) militants.
The Special Forces soldier known as "Mark" is attached to a group of elite American "Green Berets", who have been operating in eastern Afghanistan's isolated Mohmand Valley, near the Pakistan border.
At present Australia has around 300 personnel based in Afghanistan as part of Operation Highroad, which supports a NATO-led train, advise and assist mission, but very little is known about the Special Forces soldier "Mark".
Australia's Defence Department has declined to comment on whether any other Australian military personnel are involved in combat operations against IS in Afghanistan with the US.
Sadly... we probably already know. The men and women who enter the US Armed Forces with the intention of gaining citizenship don't hail from Norway. They're brown and black (the four in your squad), much more often than white.
Trump doesn't want more non-white citizens.
CQFD.
Evening Shona, thanks for that bit of info. I get some from my great grandson (Australia Special Operations Command). Which makes this article and it's content quite a blockbuster...From the information gathered thus far there is no good reason that these soldiers are being discharged.
IMO, this information needs to be explained to the American people as why, volunteer legal immigrants are being treated this way.
Hope all is well with you Shona.
Glad you posted this. I made a comment about it earlier.
Sickening and disgusting how this administration works.
It is like a purge. I would say what it reminds me of yet some would get their panties in a bunch.
Yes, I saw your comment and then this story popped up so I posted it. Hoping more information about what's going on here is printed soon.
I can't imagine this being okay with veterans no matter which side of the aisle they sit.
I don't really think being a veteran has that much to do with anything in this case. Most people want immigration reform and this is a great program for a path to citizenship. I think other programs that assure that immigrants can contribute rather than be a burden should be put in place to offer a path. Oh I know that sounds harsh towards the poor but all other nations have such criteria as well and for a reason. It is not fair to citizens to increase a countries debt by taking in immigrants, and certainly overdoing it could destroy a country. I think most people want responsible legal immigration reform, amnesty is a different story...and making a big deal of splitting up people coming in illegally when we all know it won't happen if they take the legal path is nothing more than bullshit political polarization.
This situation was created a couple years ago before Obama left office. I was on several calls with the State department when they were establishing the new vetting process for all non US citizens applying for internships, fellowships, and other positions within the Fed and state government. It was decided that no foreign national would be considered for a position if they had not been in the country for a minimum of 3 years or if the U.S couldn't get 5 years information from their countries to perform background checks. The process is extreme and several agencies objected but we're overruled (obviously). This has more to do with security then immigration. At least it did when the process was revamped.
The State department does not have the resources to do the extreme vetting that the law requires.
This is inexcusable. Joining the military, serving a full term and fulfilling your duties should always be a path to citizenship.
I am Vietnam Veteran. This current Administration is undeserving of support, acceptance or legitimacy.
On The Fourth of July a contingent of GOP office holders met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow. Putin did not meet with them. Obviously not desiring to waste his time.
In a couple of weeks Trump will meet with Putin in a secret meeting with no US press. Is Trump a traitor?
When a nation's leader ( Trump ) reneges on a promise made...………………………...
They can always join the French Foreign Legion. That still works!
I don't pretend to be an expert in this. I wasn't sure if this program was a law, an EO, or something the DoD cooked up that was never challenged.
From this it sounds like an EO that was expanded on existing Laws.
So we have another EO redefining parameters of the background check being completed before they start training/service; and terms of service. This is the reason that we need laws regarding immigration standards, not a bunch of EO's. EO's might not outlast the POTUS that wrote them, and can be easily challenged in court if they are perceived to conflict with any existing law. A law could have also offered a way to challenge the dismissal. It doesn't look like either of the EO's does.
As for the individual the article is about. Since he has served for about 2 years; and background checks might take that long to complete- maybe they found something in the check they didn't like? Again, there is no clear definition of what can disqualify someone in a background check.- and he has no legal way of defending himself from this dismissal.
Fix the damn law!
... and in the meantime... Keep "those people" out!
Bob, I really don't think this is an immigration decision from this Administration. As much as I hate to admit that. The more I learn about the paperwork the more I'm convinced it is due to the extreme vetting that the State Department put in place. This was started during the Obama administration but it wasn't fully implemented until after he left. The process objective may have changed under the new administration but this was thought up during Obama. Those of us involved in a number of calls knew there were going to be problems including huge delays completing the background checks.
Obama was not easy on illegal immigrants, except Dreamers.
People need to integrate the fact that, despite the wingnuts' slavering, Obama was not on the left. He was a moderate conservative all across the board of social policies.
That said... it seems pretty clear that the trumpists made things worse. Separating children from parents is not the kind of policy that is decided mid-level in the hierarchy, for example.
This is what drove the Republican party insane. They were determined to strongly oppose Obama and the only way they could do that with a right leaning centrist was to run to the far right extreme. Right wingers constantly claim that Obama drove the country to the far left, which is ridiculous, but us lefties rarely mention the FACT that the political spectrum in America is obscenely RIGHT shifted.
No. Fix the damn law. Period. There is no other alternative. Why didn't Obama's EO offer a way disputing any dismissal? Even if it did Trump could have undone it by amending, or simply dropping the EO all together. Unless it is a law any EO is only temporary.
As for Obama not being easy on immigrants, especially illegals, it depends on what your views are. Anyone to the right of Obama would consider him a cream puff.
Also, unless you have knowledge the rest of us don't, you don't know why the person the article was about was discharged. It isn't stated, and he wasn't told. There is no clearly defined standard or guidelines of what would disqualify someone laid out in the background check. So you are simply imposing your hatred of Trump as the reason he was discharged.
Obama was a moderate conservative? Wow, that just shows how far left the Democratic base have slid. Please explain which of Obama's policies would place him as a moderate conservative? I think we all want to be enlightened.
I am a moderate fiscal conservative, (too socially liberal to be considered a true conservative); and I can tell you there are zero economic policies that Obama supported or enacted that would ever be considered even remotely conservative.
The Democratic Party would be an "ordinary" conservative party in Europe. The Republican Party would be "crazy right"... which does indeed exist, and is busily transforming Poland and Hungary into neo-fascist one-party states.
Obama is no longer President. The Republican Party controls everything: the Presidency, the Congress, and the Supreme Court.
So please... stop asking for Obama to do stuff. Ask the all-powerful Republican Party to... ... govern!
Do the Republicans have a super majority in the Senate? If not then the Democrats have to chip in as well. Obstruction is a two way street. Obama obstructed the Republican Congress as much as they obstructed him. I remember when all we heard was Republican obstruction when the Democrats held all of the power; and had the super majority in the Senate.
Obama had his chance- he blew it with his "have cell phone and pen" governing. His legacy ended when he left office.
How many Republican propositions have been defeated by Democratic filibuster? None.
Senate Republicans have proposed... tax cuts. Nothing else.
Thank you for your service, now get out!
Americas state of affairs gets sadder by the day.
This is happening across the board based on country of origin only and our American promise to those who want to become legalized by serving America are denied. America is breaking it's promises daily under a horrific regime that has no respect for our laws or our commitments. These brave soldiers were honest in their intent. America is not being honest by failing to honor our commitment to these soldiers.
THE“BUNKER”: DEPORTED US VETERANS SUPPORT HOUSE LOCATED IN TIJUANA , MEXICO
We don't mind you dieing for us, but you can't live here.
I've been reading a lot of stories about this Steve. It's a damn crime what's being done to these vets.
It truly is Kavika. The word of the US government is proving worthless. But then, you already knew that.
This is a dirty little secret that most anti immigration don't want to talk about. It has no real defense.
The only real defense, that of course is never spoken, is that the defenders want to maintain the old white man guard.
I don't recall specifically serving with immigrants, mostly because when I was in the service, immigration wasn't a big deal to either party. But I will say that anyone that serves and puts their life on the line for this country should be given full citizenship on the last day of their active duty. No exceptions. (Ok, exceptions for bad conduct or dishonorable discharges).
I am pretty sure it happened because our pussy president is mad that immigrants have more balls and loyalty to the US than he does.
I am locking this article. I have commitments today and will not be around to monitor.