Rep. Veasey Introduces Amendments to Study Effects of Outdated Immigration Policies on Deported Service Members and Military Readiness

Washington, D.C.- On Monday, May 7th, Congressman Marc Veasey, (TX-33), member of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced two amendments to the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would study the effects of antiquated immigration policies on military readiness: (1) requiring a report on the number of deported service members and their families, and (2) requiring a report assessing the impact of U.S. immigration policy on military recruitment, readiness, and morale.

The first amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to provide a report by the end of 2018 on the number of U.S. Armed Forces veterans and military family members that have been deported from the United States. As of January 2017, there were 10,644 noncitizens currently serving in the U.S. military and an additional 11,524 noncitizens under reserve status. A 2016 report by the ACLU estimates that the United States has deported more than 230 veterans.

According to American Families United, at least 350,000 American citizens are married to foreign-born spouses. Of those, as many as 11,800 active U.S. military service members are dealing with a spouse or family member who is facing deportation.

However, the Department of Defense has not published a report on the exact numbers.

The report would allow members of the House Armed Services Committee to better understand the population of deported veterans as well as the number of years each deported veteran served. It would also assess and detail these deportations' impact on military readiness.

The second amendment would mandate the Department of Defense to assess how USCIS policies effect recruitment, readiness, and morale of the Armed Forces as well as evaluate whether service members have been adversely affected when an immediate family member is placed in deportation proceedings or removed from the country.

"It is a complete shame that anyone who enlists in our armed forces and risks their lives to protect our values and freedoms can also face the threat of deportation," said Congressman Veasey. "My amendments are the first steps in fighting this injustice. We must understand the gravity of this issue because turning our back on our veterans and their families is unacceptable and un-American," added Rep. Veasey.

Last year, Congressman Veasey introduced H.R. 3103, the Study of Our Deported Vets Act, requiring the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense to conduct a study on the population of deported veterans from 1990 to the present day.