Legislation would provide pathway to citizenship.
Representative Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced legislation that would allow participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, called “Dreamers,” to enlist in the military and ultimately obtain a pathway to citizenship.
There is currently no way to join the military for the roughly 600,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children who receive protection through the DACA program that was established under President Obama.
Congressman Gallego, a Marine veteran, said, “We need more talented people in the military. These are a population of people that are already serving their country in different ways. They’re very patriotic.” He added, “While it is partly an immigration issue, it is also a national security issue, especially right now.”
Representative Gallego said the bill could also help the military fix its current recruitment shortfalls. In July, the Army’s vice chief of staff, General Joseph M. Martin, told a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing that the regular Army is poised to fall nearly 19,000 soldiers short of its staffing goal in fiscal 2022.
The shortfall is the result of a variety of factors, including a challenging post-pandemic recruiting environment, signs of declining morale among those currently in the service, and a population of potential recruits that has shrunk because of factors such as obesity and lack of education.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Representative Gallego as he proposes a solution to issues with immigration and with military recruitment.
- For wisdom for members of the House as they consider the merits of the legislation.
- For officials in the Department of Defense as they incentivize enlistment into the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sources: Roll Call, The Hill
