Immigrants: We Want Their Military Service but Not Them

In Immigrant Paradox, Bobbie Bowman observes that "paradoxes exist because immigrants have become central to meeting our labor needs, yet some people still want to keep them on the fringes of society."

For example, immigrants are sacrificing their lives as volunteer members of the U.S. Armed Forces during a time in which nativists have unleashed one of the most shameful anti-immigrant periods in American history.

The message is clear: We want the military service of immigrants but we don't want them.

But check out the sacrifices that "aliens" have made for America, while nativists shoot at immigrants from their safe perches in the homeland:

• Over 200 awards/medals to non-U.S. citizens in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,
• Over 100 non-U.S. citizens have died in military action since the 2001.
• Over 24,000 non-U.S. citizens are on active duty in the armed forces.
• Since 2001, federal immigration officials have naturalized 24,745 military service members.
• More than 10,000 non-U.S. citizens with foreign-language skills have allowed for a "linguistically more competent military."
  
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