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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, There are a significant number of non-citizen
3veterans of foreign wars, including World War II, the Korean
4War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the
5Afghanistan War, who have been removed from the United States;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, When these veterans returned to civilian life
8without appropriate support in reintegration, both
9psychologically and economically, they fell into addictions
10and criminal activities, were arrested and, due to their
11non-citizen resident status, were deported; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Many of these veterans live in terrible and abject
13conditions after having served in the Armed Forces of the
14United States; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Several of these veterans have asked for support
16in obtaining reentry into the United States to be with their
17families and United States citizen children; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Non-citizens compose a significant portion of the
19Armed Forces, enlisting more than 8,000 persons annually; and
 
20    WHEREAS, According to the Department of Defense, more than

 

 

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165,000 non-citizen immigrants were serving in the United States
2Armed Forces as of 2008, accounting for at least 5% of the
3total active-duty personnel; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Immigration Reform Act of 1996 broadened the
5criteria for removable offenses to include shoplifting,
6misdemeanor drug offenses, and other minor offenses, allowing
7the Department of Homeland Security to quietly deport veterans
8who have fallen on hard times; and
 
9    WHEREAS, According to Banished Veterans, a support group
10for deported veterans, there are currently 3,000 veterans in
11immigration detention centers or in removal proceedings at any
12given time; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Veterans that have been deported do not have
14access to Veterans Affairs benefits or other benefits designed
15for veterans; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The nation owes these veterans adequate support
17and rehabilitation equal to that of veterans with full
18citizenship; and
 
19    WHEREAS, After having served time for their crimes in the
20criminal justice system, non-citizen veterans are almost
21immediately dropped at the doorsteps of their country of birth

 

 

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1with no resources, no contacts and, at times, no knowledge of
2the language, resulting in compounded punishment; and
 
3    WHEREAS, These valiant veterans are solely allowed reentry
4into the United States posthumously for their burial in a
5United States military cemetery; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Members of the United States Congress are calling
7for an end to the deportation of non-citizen military veterans
8and United States Representative Ruben Gallego has introduced
9H.R. 5012, the Restoring Respect for Immigrant Service in
10Uniform Act; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Restoring Respect for Immigrant Service in
12Uniform Act urges the Department of Homeland Security to
13readmit veterans who have been deported and have not committed
14a serious crime, therefore reuniting deported veterans with
15their families; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The Restoring Respect for Immigrant Service in
17Uniform Act prevents the deportation of veterans who have
18served in the military at least six months and have not
19committed a felony or significant misdemeanor; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois recognizes the importance
21and need for equitable treatment of veterans; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the
3Restoring Respect for Immigrant Service in Uniform Act and urge
4the members of the United States Congress to pass H.R. 5012;
5and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
7delivered to the members of the Illinois congressional
8delegation.