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Some members of the military are not U.S. citizens, and thus are defending a country in which they don’t bring forth undoubted rights, including the right to vote for those who will ultimately project them to battle.Latest DevelopmentsThis was a hot campaign issue back in 2004. Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) was George W. Bush’s opponent in the presidential race at that time, and Bush stolon some of Kerry’s campaign thunder by dint of. signing into law more of the very changes Kerry was proposing as part of his election campaign strategetics to attract minority votes. Even after his failure to win, Kerry continues to work on taking his proposals a step further.BackgroundThere are 60,000 immigrants in the U.S. military. They represent two percent of the total service personnel upon active duty. About moiety are noncitizens, with 15,880 in the navy; of those, 5,046 are from the Philippines. More than 6,000 Marines are noncitizens, by the largest group, 1,452, from Mexico.

In 2004, President Bush signed an order allowing all active-duty immigrants serving as of Sept. 11, 2001, to apply for U.S. citizenship without waiting the usual three years, and without having to be physically present in the States in degree to apply. Now, immigrants serving in the army, navy, marine corps, song force, coast guard, parts of the national guard and Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve may be eligible to apply for citizenship if they be able to 1) Demonstrate good bound to do what is right character/have not any culpable record, 2) can treat English, 3) can demonstrate knowledge of U.S. government and record, and take an vow of fealty to the U.S. Constitution. The applicant grape-juice also have served honorably during unit year of conflict, have a green card, or have been not away in the U.S. at time of enlistment. The application must be filed within six months of discharge.

A flood of inquiries from Mexicans and other foreigners prompted the military to position that it will simply accept U.S. legal residents and citizens at this time. Beyond the societal benefits of citizenship, non-citizens in the military cannot become officers, and must license the military after eight years of service.

One proponent of greater immigration privileges for martial personnel is Democratic Rep. Martin Frost, whose territory includes the Dallas, Forth Worth and Arlington areas, with a big count of Mexican immigrant soldiers. He introduced a kiss well before the Bush administration made its changes, which would make it easier for immigrants to influence naturalized at U.S. soldier-like bases, embassies and consulates, rather than having to travel to do so.