Should we give citizenship to those who serve?

 by Indra Ekmanis
 published on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Indra Ekmanis / THE STATE PRESS

TAKE ACTION: Iraq veteran Drew Cameron, right, speaks to passing students about the anti-war movement outside the Memorial Union Monday afternoon.

Instead of risking deportations to their home countries, many illegal immigrants may instead opt for deployment to Iraq if a proposed federal legislation is passed.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act — variations of which have been introduced but not yet passed in Congress several times — would allow illegal immigrant students to regulate their status and gain citizenship or legal residence through participation in higher education or enlistment in the military.

In order to be eligible for the DREAM Act, immigrants must meet requirements including high school graduation and possession of "good moral character." They must also have entered the U.S. before age 16.

The act was re-introduced last year, but no major action has yet been taken, according to the Library of Congress' Web site. Further action on the act may be postponed until 2009.

Manuel Hernandez, associate professor of Spanish and Chicano literature, said the DREAM Act is about giving illegal immigrant students "a fair deal."

"This is their society, and they went to school and succeeded," he said.

Victor Contrers, of Cottonwood, Ariz., was born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents who gained citizenship. He said that being immersed in the Mexican culture cultivated patriotism for both countries — a feeling that he said many immigrants likely share.

"We just love coming from that country," said Contrers. "There is no other place like Mexico because we're from over there. But [America] is the land of opportunity."

Contrers said he has friends who are illegal immigrants and have talked about serving to gain citizenship.

"Some of them don't mind [going into the military]," he said. "They did that stuff in Mexico, and they wouldn't mind doing it here to get their legal paperwork. But then other people say, 'What's the point of going, putting your life on the line to get legal citizenship?' "

Chris Sheppard, a 2006 mass communication master's graduate, served in the Marine Corps for eight years, including two tours of duty in Iraq. He said that he thinks trading citizenship for service is a form of bribery.

"You're going to prey on the weakest members of society," said Sheppard, who said he thinks the war was poorly handled. "They are trying to look for some sort of cheap way of filling the ranks."

Drew Cameron, who served in Iraq, agreed that the DREAM Act would exploit illegal immigrants.

"It's another way to prey on marginalized people to get them to enlist in the military," he said. "If people serve in the military, they should be citizens. It's sad that you have to go fight a war to become a citizen in this country."

Reach the reporter at: indra.ekmanis@asu.edu.