Tell Congress: Support the Veteran Service Recognition Act!

Since our nation’s founding, noncitizens have served in the U.S. military and fought in every major war. But in recent years, thousands of veterans have been deported by the very country they swore to protect. This is unconscionable.

Congress must act to assist noncitizen service members and veterans with accessing the citizenship they earned. Tell your elected official to support the Veteran Service Recognition Act today.

Those who serve in the military sacrifice for all of us, and many do so under the promise of expedited citizenship. Most are Green Card holders, yet bureaucratic hurdles in the military have impeded their naturalization. Instead, as veterans, many are deported and permanently exiled from the country they served due to a law that bars judges from considering military service in deportation proceedings and problems such as PTSD.

Take Action: Tell your elected official to support the Veteran Service Recognition Act today.

Send a letter

Dear Member of Congress,

I’m your constituent and I’m writing to urge you to support the Veteran Service Recognition Act, H.R. 4569/S– a bill that would improve noncitizen service members’ access to naturalization services  and give deported veterans the chance to return home.

Non-citizens are an important part of the military. Tens of thousands are serving on active-duty and approximately 8,000 join each year – a fact especially significant due to the military’s recruitment and retention crisis.

Most noncitizen service members immigrated lawfully to the U.S. as small children. They have lived their entire lives in the U.S. and serve in the military out of a love for this country and a sense of duty.

Our laws have long promised service members an expedited path to citizenship. But due to bureaucratic hurdles, many never became citizens, leaving them vulnerable to deportation.

Many veterans suffer PTSD and have difficulty reintegrating to civilian life, leading to contact with the criminal legal system. While veterans who complete their criminal sentences can return home, noncitizen veterans face a second punishment – deportation from the country they swore to protect.

Deported veterans deserve a second chance, and the opportunity to establish their eligibility to return home. And service members deserve information and assistance to naturalize during their service.

I hope you will stand with our veterans and support the Veteran Service Recognition Act.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Not ? Click here.

Prefix*

First name*

Last name*

Email address*

Street address*

City*

State*

Region

ZIP Code*

Postal code

Mobile phone

Your first and last name, state, and zip code will be shared with the message recipient along with your message, per our privacy statement.

By completing this form, I am joining the ACLU’s People Power volunteer program and agreeing to receive emails and, if I have entered a phone number, calls or texts from the ACLU, its state affiliates, and their representatives about ways to take action and support the ACLU organizations. To learn more about how we use your data, please see our Privacy Policy.