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WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 21: Korean President Moon Jae-in greets Army Colonel Ralph Puckett during his Medal of Honor ceremony alongside President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House May 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. Army Colonel Ralph Puckett is a decorated combat veteran who served in the army during the Korean War and led a group of 51 men in the capture and defense of Hill 205 against an overwhelming Chinese attack. Colonel Puckett is U.S. President Joe Biden’s first Medal of Honor recipient of his administration.
The Biden administration made an announcement on Friday it is formalizing a new process to enable immigrants who served in the military of the United States and were later deported to return to the nation. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas commanded the US' immigration agencies to develop a systematic and thorough approach to evaluate the cases of immigrants whose deportations did not live up to their highest values.
Mayorkas commanded his department's immigration agencies to take urgent steps to affirm that military families may come back to the US. Also, he stated that the department would halt pending deportation proceedings against veterans or their immediate relatives present in the US and clear the way for individuals who are eligible to apply for United States citizenship.
Department of Homeland Security's Commitment
Legal immigrants could join the United States military. After serving, potentially hundreds of people have been deported. According to Mayorkas, "The Department of Homeland Security recognizes the profound commitment and sacrifice that service members and their families have made to the United States of America. 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," reported Axios.
To help curious veterans with their immigration applications, DHS is working to establish a resource center. Aside from COVID-19 vaccines, it will also ensure that veterans have access to the benefits they are entitled to, reported Fox News.
DHS and VA are making efforts to affirm that deported veterans receive health benefits. These include COVID-19 vaccinations for them and their families.
For decades, Immigration and Customs Enforcement have deported veterans. However, the exact total of deportations is unknown due to the government not screening them prior to their deportation.
According to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough in a statement, it is their duty to serve all veterans notwithstanding who they are, the place they came from, or the status of their citizenship. Keeping that vow means affirming that veterans, noncitizen service members, and their families are guaranteed a place in the nation they swore an oath - and in many cases fought -- to defend. He added they are proud to work alongside the DHS to turn that into a reality, reported DN.
Mayorkas led immigration authorities to conduct an immediate evaluation of practices and guidelines to ensure that qualified current and former noncitizens who served in the military could return to or remain in the United States.
The DHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs's joint statement declared a vigorous interagency cooperation effort to remove barriers to naturalization of qualified individuals, develop a resource center, and review removal guidelines and practices to alleviate future unjust removals.
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