Mississippi, District 2
The US Military’s Diversity Is Part of Its Strength
The United States Armed Forces has done some of its greatest work when it has dismantled barriers to service and opened its ranks to Americans of different backgrounds and identities. Inclusivity within the U.S. military has been hard-fought but admittedly slow. Black service members have fought in every single… Read More
Immigrant Service Members to be Naturalized and Remembered on Veterans Day
This year on Veterans Day, over 40 naturalization ceremonies will take place and 7,500 veterans, service members, and military spouses will become the newest Americans. While that may seems like a large number of people, it should come as no surprise as immigrant participation in the U.S. armed services is… Read More
How Investing in Immigrants Leads to a Tax Surplus for States
While the federal government is responsible for admitting immigrants to the U.S., immigrants live in states and local communities. And at the local level, immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, and classmates, in addition to being taxpayers and consumers. They contribute to local and state economies and have a fiscal impact… Read More
Family Reunification Policy for Filipino WWII Veterans Takes Effect
Beginning June 8, 2016, through the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) executive action, Filipino-Americans who bravely fought for the United States during World War II will be allowed to request that their family members, with approved visa petitions, come to the United States and avoid further delay… Read More
Recognizing the Vital Contributions Foreign Born Veterans Make to the U.S. Military
Immigrants bring tremendous skills, talents, and energy to our country – including to our military forces. It’s important to recognize the essential impact immigrant veterans, standing shoulder to shoulder with native-born soldiers, have made and will continue to make within the ranks of the U.S. military. Here’s how the U.S. military is… Read More
Honoring the Foreign-Born Service Members of Yesterday and Today on Memorial Day
Each year, roughly 8,000 immigrants join the U.S. military, bringing linguistic skills and cultural diversity that enrich each branch of the Armed Forces. Nearly 65,000 service members have become naturalized U.S. citizens since September 2001, but there are still limits that prevent young immigrants who want… Read More
Remembering the Contributions of Immigrant Soldiers this Veterans Day
Immigrants fill every imaginable role in U.S. society. They are found in every profession, from farmworker to brain surgeon. They are the owners of small neighborhood bodegas and the C.E.O.s of high-tech transnational corporations. They represent their communities in town councils and in the U.S. Congress. And, not surprisingly, they are also found throughout the ranks of the U.S. military, fighting on the front lines and shaping policy in the Pentagon. The importance of the myriad roles that immigrants play in the armed forces has only increased since 9/11. In recognition of their service, tens of thousands of foreign-born military men and women have been offered, and taken, an expedited path to U.S. citizenship. These two decisions—to join the U.S. military and to become U.S. citizens—are perhaps the most powerful signs of full-fledged integration into the social fabric of the United States. Read More
Non-Citizens Eager to Serve in U.S. Military Blocked by Government Bureaucracy
BY MARGARET D. STOCK, COUNSEL TO THE FIRM, LANE POWELL PC This Veterans Day, we celebrate those who have proudly served in the U.S. military, including immigrants. Immigrants have long served in all branches of the U.S. military as infantry soldiers, medics, foreign-language translators, and in every other job open to them. At last count, foreign-born service members made up about 8% of the 1.4 million military personnel on active duty. However, some highly qualified non-citizens have been blocked from serving due to the Obama Administration’s suspension of a recruiting program called the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI). Frustrated by the government bureaucracy responsible for halting MAVNI, those non-citizen volunteers are petitioning the government in hopes of reopening the program. Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
