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In spite of their service to the country, noncitizen servicemen and women face the prospect of being deported back to their country of origin under a law that expands the list of crimes for which immigrants can be deported. Last week, the Associated Press reported on several noncitizens who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, yet have found that their service was not worthy of consideration when it came time to enforcing deportation laws.
This is a serious immigration issue, and immigration advocates believe that there are thousands of immigrants who have been deported after service. Thousands more are believed to be in detention. There are no official figures about the numbers of immigrants who have been deported or are waiting to be deported, but immigration authorities plan to track these numbers soon.
Immigration advocates for noncitizen servicemen and women are now trying to change the situation. More and more immigration attorneys are taking cases involving servicemen and women facing deportation to court. These attorneys have argued that an immigrant who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces must be considered an American national, just as he would be if he were to die during combat. A non-citizen who dies while serving is granted citizenship and also a military funeral.
There are also now more efforts being made to increase the number of veteran’s courts. These courts give special treatment to veterans and see more arguments for leniency for these veterans. There are already more than 30 veteran’s courts across the country, and more are planned.
If you are facing deportation charges, consult with an experienced New Jersey immigration attorney at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman.
