{"id":46365,"date":"2018-03-05T21:43:25","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T21:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/05\/commentary-deportation-threat-disrespects-the-service-of-noncitizen-warriors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:37:10","slug":"commentary-deportation-threat-disrespects-the-service-of-noncitizen-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2018\/03\/05\/commentary-deportation-threat-disrespects-the-service-of-noncitizen-warriors\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary: Deportation threat disrespects the service of noncitizen warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I met Leon Hugues Fouomene Lekoubou at basic training<\/a>. A 27-year-old, lanky green-card holder<\/a> from Cameroon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He left his widowed mother, three brothers, and \u2014 unknown to him at the time \u2014 unborn son to immigrate to the U.S. and join the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spoke very little English, which contributed to significantly more confusion at Fort Benning, Georgia, than any of us. He always had a blank, confused stare that frustrated the drill sergeants, who screamed at him incessantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Leon lacked in comprehension, however, he made up for in heart. He finished the two-mile run portion of his fitness test<\/a> in 11 minutes and 40 seconds, an exceptional time compared to most. When a drill sergeant yelled at him for his sweaty nose, he applied antiperspirant to his face. He never questioned a command \u2014 he just solved every problem as it arose, and he never complained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite making my efforts at being a model soldier look minuscule in comparison, Leon was considered less of an American.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This unfortunate reality is not exclusive to him. Leon is one among approximately 8,000 noncitizens who join our military every year, representing about 95 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the post-9\/11 era, more than 109,000 immigrants have been naturalized through service<\/a>. Foreign-born soldiers have deployed to every American conflict, risking their lives for the U.S before being eligible to drive or vote. And while these immigrants, including Leon, continue to contribute in every occupation among our ranks, thousands have been deported and even more risk deportation as the current administration rolls back naturalization programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last September, in response to a Pentagon memo that expressed security concerns, the Army reneged on the enlistment contracts for hundreds of non-citizen recruits, who faced deportation<\/a> shortly after. The following month, the administration further cracked down on immigrant enlistments<\/a> by reversing the Pentagon\u2019s expedited path to citizenship via its Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program, or MAVNI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service cited fears of espionage, though the two most-publicized recent cases of gross espionage in our military ranks came at the hands of American citizens, and one of those citizens \u2014 Chelsea Manning \u2014 is running for Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is unsettling. Immigrant veterans, despite honorably serving this nation, are facing the reality of our government deporting them \u2014 if it hasn\u2019t already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A report by the Texas Civil Rights Union<\/a> says 3,000 veterans who served in our military have been deported. A similar report from the American Civil Liberties Union of California<\/a> stated that nearly all deported veterans qualified for naturalization while in the service, but lost their status due to administrative failures by our federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\t