Senate Democrats will release a Plan that would Protect so-called Dreamers and other Immigrants serving in the Military, a push that comes amid sharp Debate about the Future of nearly 700,000 young Undocumented Immigrants in the United States.
The Measure from Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) would ensure that Immigrants in the Military who have been Recruited through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest initiative (MAVNI), hundreds of them Beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, would be able to Retain their Status in the Military until Background Checks and other Screening Processes are Completed.
Between 1,000 and 1,800 Immigrants Participating in the MAVNI Program have Lost Legal Status because of Backlogs in the Screening Process, the Senators said. “When the military can’t find American citizens with the skills it needs to help defend our country, they turn to the MAVNI program,” Durbin said in a Statement. “Right now, there are patriots prepared to lay down their lives for ours who are losing their immigration status while waiting for their background checks to clear. With all the threats facing the United States today, we simply cannot afford to lose these brave men and women because of a technicality.”
Harris, a Freshman Senator who has made Immigration a Signature Issue, said those who have Served in the U.S. Military “Deserve Respect, not Deportation.” “It is wrong and makes no sense,” Harris said. “These service members have skills and talents that are vital to our national security and we must ensure they aren’t victims of a slow bureaucratic process.”
Among the Litany of concerns for Immigration Advocates are the DACA Recipients who have Enlisted through MAVNI, which creates a Shortcut to Permanent Legal Status for Immigrants with Specialized Skills such as Medical Language or Foreign Language Fluency. More than 800 People who hold DACA Permits have Joined the Military with this Specialized Program.
Other Democratic Sponsors of the Language, being introduced as an Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act now on the floor of the Senate, include Michael Bennet of Colorado, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Dianne Feinstein of California, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Mark Warner of Virginia.
But the Democratic Backers aren’t Planning a Full-Throttle push to try to get the Amendment Attached to the Defense Policy Measure, which usually passes Congress with Significant Bipartisan Majorities every year.
There has been Private Discussion about trying to Attach Legislation granting Legal Status to DACA Recipients in the Military, yet that idea has been nixed as to not Risk Infuriating Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) by Injecting an Immigration Fight into the Defense Debate.
Rather, Democrats want to raise the Issue of Immigrants serving in the Military as Debate rages over whether to codify DACA into Law or end it in Six Months as announced by President Trump. Currently, MAVNI Recruits are removed from the Armed Forces if they haven’t Completed Basic Training within 730 days, which they can’t do until their Background Checks are done, and risk losing their Legal Status here, as well as face Potential Persecution from their Home Countries for Enlisting in the U.S. Military.
The Amendment would require MAVNI Recruits to Stay in the Military, no matter how Long their Background Checks Take.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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