{"id":68879,"date":"2021-07-12T20:20:34","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T20:20:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/12\/deported-veterans-would-get-fast-path-to-us-citizenship-under-new-proposal\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:24:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:24:20","slug":"deported-veterans-would-get-fast-path-to-us-citizenship-under-new-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2021\/07\/12\/deported-veterans-would-get-fast-path-to-us-citizenship-under-new-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Deported veterans would get fast path to U.S. citizenship under new proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just days after administration officials vowed to provide more support and benefits to deported veteran<\/a>s, a pair of congressmen are pushing instead for a new pathway to citizenship for those individuals to better honor their military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, Reps. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, introduced the Repatriate Our Patriots Act, which would allow U.S. military veterans deported for nonviolent crimes to receive expedited consideration for permanent citizenship. It would also prohibit the deportation of military veterans for any reason except serious, violent crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows similar legislation introduced last week by Sen. Tammy Duckworth<\/a>, D-Ill., that would mandate a new visa program for the veterans to once again become legal permanent residents of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you are willing to put your life on the line to defend this great nation and our values, you should be able to become a U.S. citizen,\u201d Young said in a statement. \u201cIt is inexcusable that service members who risked it all to protect us would be put through the deportation process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t