On the recordSeptember 29, 2022
I rise to introduce the Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022. This legislation would ensure that noncitizen service members have access to the information and resources they need to apply for citizenship in the United States and avoid deportation from the country they have promised to protect and fight for. The Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022 would implement important changes to ensure that servicemembers as well as their spouses and children are not removed from the United States after leaving the military because they were never provided support and resources to help them adjust their status. Specifically, this bill would require the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to create a program to help ensure that servicemembers and their families have a pathway to naturalization. The program would also include training for JAG officers and recruiter training on the naturalization process for servicemembers. The bill would also create a Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee that would provide recommendations to DHS on whether a noncitizen who has served in the military or their family members should be granted a stay of removal, deferred action, parole, or be removed from the country. Finally, the bill would require DHS to establish a program that allows removed veterans and their family members to be admitted back into the United States as lawful permanent residents and directs DOJ to reopen their removal cases.…
