Illiegal Immigrant serves in Iraq: now Deportation??!!

[kama'aina mama]

Army Pvt. Juan Escalante came home to Seattle after a four-month tour of duty in Iraq to face a challenge most of his fellow soldiers would never expect: deportation.

In addition to being a soldier who proudly wears the blue-and-white combat patch on his Army uniform, 19-year-old Escalante is also an illegal immigrant from Mexico. If military authorities decide to discharge him, he could be deported.

Meanwhile, his parents were trying to become legal residents.
On April 29, the Escalantes appeared before Seattle immigration Judge Anna Ho. They have no criminal record and have permission to work here, they told the judge. They own a three-bedroom house. Their two U.S.-born children are still in school. And, they noted, their eldest was serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq.

Ho denied the Escalantes' petition, saying the court was sympathetic to the family but the parents failed to show that being sent back to Mexico would cause exceptional hardship to their younger children. The judge's written decision also indicates she was skeptical that Juan Escalante was in the Army, because his parents didn't provide evidence.

To read more look here

[burritomama]

Thanks for bring this to my (our) attention kama'!



burrito (who is still around just buried already (!) by the semester's essays to grade)

[miriam]

The law is that illegal aliens are expected, oddly enough, to register for the draft. Go figure.

So they are therefore expected to serve, as the rest of us, in the case of a war or a peacetime draft.

Looks like the Selective Service and INS or Homeland Security (or whatever they are calling themselves these days) needs to figure out what they are doing.

NO, I am not in favor of this. I think the Selective Service and of course the Draft are Wrong, Wrong, WRONG! But the military, which I do despise, is a reality and if someone serves honorably in our military for the defense of our country, then they should be rewarded with all of the benefits they deserve.

Whoever they are.

And reap the benefits of service also.

[TiredX2]

I can understand kicking him out of the military, since he *did* lie on his admission papers, but since his intentions seem honorable, I would still give him the fast track to citizenship. I really don't understand why he did lie (and present a false green card) when you can join the military without being a citizen (and being here illegally). In addition, many people are given the option of going to the military or jail, so... it doesn't really make sense what they are doing. Not that many things do.

Kay