Deported veterans will be sought as part of an effort to provide a pathway to citizenship and access to Veterans Affairs benefits, The Hill reported Tuesday.
The Department of Homeland Security announced late Friday, just before the holiday weekend, that the move to track down deported veterans is part of a broader plan to "avoid future unjust removals" of noncitizen military service members, The Hill said.
The department added that many of the deported veterans are eligible to naturalize due to their military service.
"We are committed to bringing back military service members, veterans, and their immediate family members who were unjustly removed and ensuring they receive the benefits to which they may be entitled," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a release.
Three DHS agencies — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — were directed to "review the cases of individuals whose removals failed to live up to our highest values."
The agencies also were directed to ensure that all eligible current and former noncitizen service members and their immediate family are able to remain in, or return, to the U.S.
More than 44,000 noncitizens served in the military between 2013 and 2018, according to a 2019 Government Accountability Office report.
The government can initiate removal proceedings for veterans convicted of a crime. However, the report found ICE didn’t consistently adhere to its policies for dealing with veterans or track how many veterans were ultimately deported, The Hill said.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough joined Mayorkas in making the announcement.
"It's our responsibility to serve all veterans as well as they have served us – no matter who they are, where they are from, or the status of their citizenship," McDonough said.
"Keeping that promise means ensuring that noncitizen service members, veterans, and their families are guaranteed a place in the country they swore an oath – and in many cases fought – to defend. We at VA are proud to work alongside DHS as to make that happen."
The release said USCIS, ICE, and CBP will develop a rigorous, systematic approach to review the cases of individuals whose removals "failed to live up to our highest values."
DHS and VA will conduct reviews in close partnership with the Department of Defense, according to the release.
"DHS and VA will also engage with the advocacy community serving noncitizen military service members, veterans, and immediate family members of service members," the release said, "to communicate its commitments, receive feedback on proposed initiatives, and announce further actions in support of this statement and in connection with the forthcoming review."
The announcement concerning veterans followed another administration effort to encourage some 9 million longtime residents to apply for U.S. citizenship.
"Becoming a United States citizen is a tremendous privilege," Mayorkas said in a statement. "New citizens, strengthened with the power and responsibilities that American citizenship brings, make our Nation better. This strategy will ensure that aspiring citizens are able to pursue naturalization through a clear and coordinated process."
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