Military Service for Green Card

There was an hour and a half phone conversation from Brazil to a Brazilian working at a law firm in Miami. Then, once here in the U.S., the family called the same person, but got conflicting information. In search of truth, they drove four hours to another Brazilian lawyer in Pembroke Pines to hear how to become legal.

One of the single men in the group posts entries on dating websites, looking for a potential Green Card marriage.

They would do almost anything for that blessed Green Card. But the question of military service scares them more than the fear of being caught here in the United States.

How many illegal immigrants have died in Iraq? Nobody really knows, but Flavia Jimenez, an immigration policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza states that "we know recruiters may not be up to speed on everybody's legal status. We know that a significant number of illegals have died in Iraq."

We pinpoint Los Angeles where the recruiting is done mainly in high schools, 75 percent Latino. And it's common knowledge that recruiters there offer Green Cards. We found the practice as widespread as Texas. And some recruiters actually tell the kids that if they don't enlist, and they are illegal, they will soon be deported - them and their family. This happened in a case in Chicago.

The Pentagon denies that illegal immigrants are in the military at all. And if they are, they committed fraud. One private was discovered illegal while in Iraq. Army Pvt Juan Escalante was discharged and shipped home. Immigration and Customs Enforcement started a proceeding against his parents to deport them - but they were saved when Escalante's unit leader wrote a letter saying he had served with distinction.

Jose Gutierrez wasn't so lucky. He came illegally from Guatemala in 1996 to escape the death squads there. Enlisted, Gutierrez was killed by friendly fire. He was awarded citizenship posthumously. When recruiters find illegals willing to sign up, they write the word "pending" for their Social Security number. Gutierrez finally got his.

President Bush signed an Executive Order on July 3, 2002, providing for the "expedited naturalization for aliens and noncitizen nationals serving in an active-duty status in the Armed Forces of the United States during the period of the war against terrorists of of global reach." What does this mean? Well, any noncitizen can be granted citizenship on their first day of active duty. But it doesn't specify illegals.

In many American wars, citizenship was granted solely on the basis of three years of honorable service or discharge, whether or not the person ever lived in the United States. And the people recruiting need to tell their prospects more - they are hiding a few facts.

For one, the military doesn't have the authority to grant citizenship. All it does is forward their application to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement which then scrutinizes them - and their families - for up to a year. Citizenship can be denied for past criminal offenses, dishonorable discharge - meaning refusing to fight in combat.

Military recruiters will exploit the desire for citizenship of illegal aliens as long as they can. And a bill, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill (S 1639) failed to pass in the Senate last June. It was to give permanent residency to any "alien who has served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, has received an honorable discharge."

This means the government knew illegals were there all along.

But with the defeat of this bill - those illegals who died for the United States will go unknown.