Lawmaker seeks to ban illegals from serving in military

Republican lawmakers have proposed legislation that would effectively ban all illegal immigrants from serving in the US military.

According to the Washington Examiner, bill sponsor and Republican Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona said that it is essential that Congress reserve military service for actual Americans at a time when the military force is shrinking on a yearly basis.

“At a time when we are in the midst of eliminating 160,000 uniformed personnel positions over a nine-year stretch, we cannot afford to let the Pentagon reduce more opportunities for American soldiers through an unconstitutional executive memorandum,” Gosar said. “The president and his open border allies may hate the fact that the Constitution gets in the way of their political agenda, but it’s up to Congress to take bold action and stop this lawlessness.”

The bill would effectively undo initiatives that were spearheaded by President Obama’s executive action, which allowed illegal immigrants to fast-track their citizenship through military service in specialized fields, according to The Hill.

Gosar’s office said 141 immigrants were enlisted in the government since last April and that the military is opposed to the change, with one former military official saying the program’s parameters have been abused.

“Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the Constitution grants Congress clear jurisdiction with regard to U.S. citizenship and immigration matters,” Gosar said. “Congress has consistently rejected policies that aim to allow illegal aliens to serve in the military.”

Gosar’s bill currently has 19 Republican cosponsors and can be read here.

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