Should Servicemembers be permitted to bring their undocumented children and spouses into the United States?

2019-04-15T20:04:18-04:00

In my opinion, anyone willing to die for this country should be able to do so.

Response by Cpl Joseph Heaphy made Apr 15 at 2019 8:44 PM

2019-04-15T20:44:13-04:00

Absolutely! It seems like a no brainer to me.

Response by SFC Christopher Taggart made Apr 15 at 2019 9:05 PM

2019-04-15T21:05:41-04:00

Re: 'In my opinion, anyone willing to die for this country should be able to do so.' I find your statement "overused"...because underage drinkers use that same statement, to drink, smoke pot, jump off bridges, etc. lol

Response by SSG Steven Mangus made Apr 15 at 2019 9:07 PM

2019-04-15T21:07:09-04:00

No..follow the law and set the example..

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 15 at 2019 9:19 PM

2019-04-15T21:19:19-04:00

NO, you have had the time and the cheaper way of paying for it. Let them get off their 4th POC and do the paperwork like millions of other immigrants. You weren't around in the 50-70 time frame of "green card Frau's" and " you take me to Land of PX, love you long time!"

Response by SFC George Smith made Apr 15 at 2019 9:34 PM

2019-04-15T21:34:09-04:00

NO..…. They Are A Security Threat And Its Illegal!

Response by Maj John Bell made Apr 15 at 2019 9:38 PM

2019-04-15T21:38:06-04:00

The law is or at least should be no respecter of people. How many articles do we have to read about a service member who is getting ready to deploy when ICE catches up with their spouse or children.

Fill out the paperwork and do it right. If that is too much work...

Response by Cpl James O'Rawe made Apr 15 at 2019 10:37 PM

2019-04-15T22:37:09-04:00

Hate to say it for the service members, but they have to do it the right way. If they want them to be legally here.

Response by SGT Louise Hawthorne made Apr 16 at 2019 1:04 AM

2019-04-16T01:04:26-04:00

To clarify my question, I am referring to the issue of immigration. Obviously an individual who has broken the law should not qualify.
Please keep your response on point.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Apr 16 at 2019 1:25 AM

2019-04-16T01:25:35-04:00

Every illegal entry into the US makes it all the more difficult to get those papers. I married a foreign national and the paperwork to do it right is to easy. Every document comes with its own set of instructions.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2019 4:32 AM

2019-04-16T04:32:26-04:00

No. Have them sit tight while you do the paperwork to make it all legal. If the children are the children of the service member who is a citizen then they are citizens by birth anyway no matter where they are born. The service member should fill out the forms and follow the law.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Apr 16 at 2019 7:02 AM

2019-04-16T07:02:41-04:00

Uh, no. Why would someone in the military who has sworn to defend the Constitution be allowed to violate the immigration laws of the country? The vast majority of people in the armed forces have little chance of dying for their country.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Apr 16 at 2019 8:14 AM

2019-04-16T08:14:37-04:00

You are mixing apples and oranges here. If you are married to a foreign national, your spouse can apply for an immigrant visa and/or a green card. Once they live in the U.S. for 3 years they can apply for citizenship. They are not 'automatically' U.S. citizens nor should they be. First, you are assuming that they want to just give up their birth citizenship which is certainly not true. Your children, if born on foreign soil, are also not automatically citizens, but there are all kinds of complex rules for that. The bottom line is that you have to follow the same rules as everyone else in the country. If you do the paperwork and follow the procedures, your children and your spouse are ultimately guaranteed citizenship, provided they don't commit crimes and get deported. Being a soldier does not grant you carte blanche to magically make foreign nationals into U.S. citizens.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Apr 16 at 2019 10:13 AM

2019-04-16T10:13:08-04:00

Undocumented....No. Over the years I've known many Soldiers with family members from outside the US. in every case they went through the proper procedures to bring them in legally and we as a chain of command provided what ever assistance we could to help expedite the process.
Think of it, since 9 / 11 with the closed posts the family members wouldn't have access to the PX, med facilities, commissary and wouldn't be able to come on post or be able to stay in on post housing. Not even a good idea by any stretch of the imagination..

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2019 11:29 AM

2019-04-16T11:29:37-04:00

Hells no. There is a process. A LEGAL process. That is the route that is to be taken. And if said SM brings in their undocumented family illegally, then said SM should be prosecuted for breaking the law (up to and including human trafficking, IMHO).

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 16 at 2019 11:31 AM

2019-04-16T11:31:16-04:00

No. Follow the law. Get a spouse visa.

Response by PO1 Don Gulizia made Apr 16 at 2019 12:03 PM

2019-04-16T12:03:37-04:00

How are they "undocumented?" Do you not have a legal marriage certificate? Birth certificates with "servicemember" named as parent? The process seems pretty simple if you are the biological parent and are legally married to the "spouse." It seems it may take several months, but why come in "undocumented" when they can come in legally? Am I missing something or is there more to the story?

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 16 at 2019 1:57 PM

2019-04-16T13:57:52-04:00

Being in the military doesn't make you above the law. Also, describing illegal aliens as "undocumented" is a ploy trying to downplay the crime of illegally entering a country. It's like renaming drug dealers as "unlicensed pharmacists."

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Apr 16 at 2019 2:26 PM

2019-04-16T14:26:49-04:00

SGT Louise Hawthorne What is the basis for this question and statement? Please explain yourself.

Response by SGT Nicholas M. made Apr 16 at 2019 2:45 PM

2019-04-16T14:45:54-04:00

What in the cadence-calling, "be-hooah-of-you" briefing, SarMayjur yelling 'get of muh got dern grass' nonsense is this?

Response by LTJG Edward Bangor Jr made Apr 16 at 2019 4:27 PM

2019-04-16T16:27:56-04:00

If you mean allow them to come here and remain undocumented, then no. Nobody gets to just exist in America. The government is informed of every single birth and death that occurs in a hospital, and they are supposed to be told if anything happens in the home, as well. Nobody is able to go on without a paper trail in the US.

That being said, I have no issue with expediting the process of bringing family to the US for service members. If you're willing to lay it all on the line for America, it's not really fair to keep those you love the most in another country. And others have said the process isn't all that complicated. As long as it remains so, then I think we're good.

Response by William Drummond made Apr 20 at 2019 10:54 AM

2019-04-20T10:54:41-04:00

Why would this even be considered? There are several easy and inexpensive ways to do it the right way. Even if you got married just prior to return to CONUS, there are still mechanisms in place to have your family come with you that are legal.

Extend - if the process is a short one (depending on country of origin) speak to your chain of command. Even the chaplains can provide some guidance and assistance with this.

Visitors visas - again, fairly easy to obtain, but make sure there are no special restrictions on changing those to immigration visas once in the US. You may have to travel to a point of entry for the spouse and kids to "step out of the US and step back into the US" to change the visa type.

Help with immigration from the US - you can do almost anything that needs doing from the US and then send tickets for them to come to the US. You could even plan their travel to coincide with some leave and a space A flight to fly to the US with them.

Adoption - if you adopt the kids before they turn 16, they are US citizens. Adoption times vary in different countries. The upside is, the paperwork needed from the country of origin is part of what is needed for immigration purposes. This will be another process that may require an extension at your current duty station as you will have to appear before the court in the country of origin. Of course, space A flights could accomplish the same objective.

Another resource is JAG. Between JAG and chaplains, you are going to find someone who has participated in the process and knows all of the secret handshakes.

There are too many legal ways to do most everything to resort to sub-legal means. It may seen easier, faster, and cheaper to get around the system, but that is a temporary situation. Once it becomes apparent that a military member aided and abetted illegal immigration, a BCD for you, immigration fines for you, immigration fines for your spouse, perhaps some brig time for you, and watching your family get deported & flagged to prohibit reentry would hardly be worth it.

Unless it is the VA, nothing is as complicated as it first appears when dealing with government bureaucracy. The VA, on the other hand, well good luck with that. I would rather deal with the DMV, IRS, and four IG inspections on the same day every day for a month than even one hour on the phone with the VA.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2019 9:18 AM

2019-04-24T09:18:40-04:00

No and if you have illegal alien spouses and children, go THERE to be with them. They don't have to come here.

Response by PO2 Scott Snyder made Apr 25 at 2019 12:28 AM

2019-04-25T00:28:26-04:00

Response by PFC Steve Cox made Apr 25 at 2019 6:17 PM

2019-04-25T18:17:12-04:00

No. They need to pass the same legal requirements for citizenship like everyone else. There is no obligation for military service in this country for any citizen, and service should not be used to bring in and confer the rights of citizenship on dependents. They need to use the INS guidelines, follow the process that is set forth by INS and take the naturalization citizenship examination like everyone else not born here has to take.

Response by SPC Michael Dillon made Apr 25 at 2019 9:51 PM

2019-04-25T21:51:24-04:00

Response by SFC John Fourquet made May 28 at 2019 9:45 PM

2019-05-28T21:45:56-04:00

NO! Bring them in legally!