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Injured Marine wants Citizenship C&P
bigoutside
Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
This is an odd one:
HIDALGO COUNTY - He was one of the first Marines injured in the war in Iraq and spent nearly four years in the Marine Corps, but he can't get U.S. citizenship.
Manuel Espinoza has a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star Medal and even a Texas House Resolution honoring his sacrifice. But he doesn't have his U.S. citizenship.
"When you first join, they say that if you're not a citizen and you complete your first four years, the military helps you out trying to get your citizenship," says Espinoza.
He was discharged one and a half months shy of the four years, after a mortar attack left him seriously injured in Iraq. The injuries kept him from active duty and has so far kept him from his citizenship. The U.S. State Department denied his attempts to get citizenship.
"They say that I have improper documentation and that I have to resubmit everything. I have applied ever since. I just got frustrated again," he says.
For now, he's working with veterans' advocacy groups and has petitioned lawmakers in hopes of getting his citizenship. He remains in the country with a resident alien card.
http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/Valley-Veteran-Battling-For-Citizenship/jZR-zSJHwkWwdVQIOweaqQ.cspx?hpt=us_bn5
HIDALGO COUNTY - He was one of the first Marines injured in the war in Iraq and spent nearly four years in the Marine Corps, but he can't get U.S. citizenship.
Manuel Espinoza has a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star Medal and even a Texas House Resolution honoring his sacrifice. But he doesn't have his U.S. citizenship.
"When you first join, they say that if you're not a citizen and you complete your first four years, the military helps you out trying to get your citizenship," says Espinoza.
He was discharged one and a half months shy of the four years, after a mortar attack left him seriously injured in Iraq. The injuries kept him from active duty and has so far kept him from his citizenship. The U.S. State Department denied his attempts to get citizenship.
"They say that I have improper documentation and that I have to resubmit everything. I have applied ever since. I just got frustrated again," he says.
For now, he's working with veterans' advocacy groups and has petitioned lawmakers in hopes of getting his citizenship. He remains in the country with a resident alien card.
http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/Valley-Veteran-Battling-For-Citizenship/jZR-zSJHwkWwdVQIOweaqQ.cspx?hpt=us_bn5
Comments
If he is willing to fight ,I think he deserves it !
Light a big enough fire under the right people and his citizenship will be granted very quickly.
This is one case where citizenship should be expidited.
+100
Not a good precedent ,when military service is being touted as one way to gain citizenship .
If he is willing to fight ,I think he deserves it !
amen
There should be no question about this.
This country has really gone off the deep end. They want to give amnesty to all the illegals who cross over our borders yet this Marine almost gave all for this country and they don't give him his citizenship. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU WASHINGTON?[:(!]
He should talk to his US Rep about this.
US Citizenship is only mandatory for officers and those with security clearances. (I believe secret clearance may have dual citizenship, but TS must renounce any foreign citizenship).
FWIW, back in the late 60s, young man that had served with the West German army emigrated to the US, and got drafted into the US Army. He was one of my NCOs. He was permitted to wear his German jump wings (award, not a decoration)
The Marine in the OP should be the one that goes to the front of the line.
Give the marine US citizenship.
Checked and they did not have it there yet. I have found that if something like this happens and it is posted there for some reason things happen. So I posted it will checkin later to see what is going on.
Neal
It gets mighty, mighty stinky when promises are made and then not delivered upon.
The US Military, the Pentagon and D.C. don't need this sort of stuff stirred-up.
Not delivering on promises and playing military servicemen as patsies and/or fools is not the way to engender respect and trust.
I'll hope someone with uncommon sense rectifies the situation promptly. [?]
This kind a reminds me of "Starship Trooper" join and earn your citizenship.
Give him citizenship.. what he has rightfully earned.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I am all for him getting citizenship; I still want him to have to pass the same tests and take the same oaths that any foreign national applying for citizenship would take, however.
BS!
He has already passed the test.
He should be escorted to the head of the line, handed his citizenship on a silver platter and issued an apology for some pogue trying to hassle him.
It gets mighty, mighty stinky when promises are made and then not delivered upon.
reading comprehension.
as i understand it, the deal was serve four years and we'll do eveything we can to get you in; not serve less than 4 years and we'll guarantee your citizenship.
i agree that if you're willing to fight and bleed and die for this country, you should without a doubt be fast tracked on the citizenship process. i would disagree with any skipping of the steps.
this guy is without question deserving of citizenship, provided he's not a terrorist or other unfriendly type.
But, he got his citizenship the old fashioned way: he married an American.
Maybe we need to do a better job of screening everyone.
Neal
quote:Originally posted by Alan Rushing
It gets mighty, mighty stinky when promises are made and then not delivered upon.
reading comprehension.
as i understand it, the deal was serve four years and we'll do eveything we can to get you in; not serve less than 4 years and we'll guarantee your citizenship.
i agree that if you're willing to fight and bleed and die for this country, you should without a doubt be fast tracked on the citizenship process. i would disagree with any skipping of the steps.
this guy is without question deserving of citizenship, provided he's not a terrorist or other unfriendly type.
Try again:
(from usmilitary.about.com)
quote:Service During Hostilities : By Executive Order Number 13269, dated July 3, 2002, President Bush declared that all those persons serving honorably in active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States at any time on or after September 11, 2001 until a date to be announced, are eligible to apply for naturalization in accordance with the service during hostilities statutory exception in Section 329 of the INA to the naturalization requirements. This means that individuals with even one day of honorable active duty service can apply for citizenship, regardless of how long they have been a resident. Note: Under this provision, individuals who apply for citizenship after discharge must present a DD Form 214, with service characterized as "Honorable," or "General." Those with other characterizations (including Entry Level Separation), are not eligible.
I also take issue with the description of "injured" provided by the news article. If he has a purple heart, he was "wounded" not "injured."
He gets my vote.
If I remember correctly there was at least one in my unit in Vietnam. He was Canadian. There may have been others. Are residents of Puerto Rico and Guam US citizens?
Puerto Rico and Guam are US territories. They are considered citizen's and can join the Military.
They can draw Welfare, get medical cards and free government handouts from the US. The kicker is. THEY DO NOT HAVE TO PAY A SINGLE DIME IN US TAXES. The citizens of Puerto Rico have voted down becoming the 51st US state a few times due to that very reason.