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Home  News Immigration Reform Top US general testifies immigrants important in US military
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Top US general testifies immigrants important in US military |
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The top US general, the son of Italian parents, gave emotional testimony about the importance of immigrants in the US armed forces.
"They are reliable, they are courageous, they bring diversity especially in the current environment, where cultural awareness and language skills are so important," said General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He spoke at a Senate hearing held in in Miami as bills to tighten immigration laws remained stymied by differences between the House and the Senate.
Pace recalled fighting in the Vietnam war alongside immigrant soldiers.
"I'm still on active duty today for one primary reason, and that is I still owe those who served with me in Vietnam," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee, his voice chocked with emotion.
He also spoke of naturalization ceremonies at which foreign-born soldiers swear allegiance to the US flag, saying, "It just sends a thrill through your body, it just energizes the whole unit."
The Marine general pointed out he and his siblings were first-generation Americans.
"My dad came here, sometimes worked three jobs. But the jobs were there for him and the opportunities were there for him. There is no other country on the planet that affords that opportunity to those who come."
John Warner, the Republican from Virginia who heads the Senate Committee, said 23,400 soldiers now in the US armed forces were not US citizens. Foreigners with permanent-resident status in the United States may join the military.
Several speakers pointed out that thousands of undocumented migrants in the United States who risk arrest and deportation are relatives of foreign-born soldiers fighting in the US military.
"It is an affront to their noble military service to declare the 12 million undocumented immigrant men, women and children to be criminals as some in Congress have done."
Last year, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would lead to the deportation of undocumented immigrants and build 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) of fence on the Mexican border.
Legislation approved this year by the Senate also would put key enforcement measures in place, but would include channels for immigrants to gain legal status. Its provision would allow many of the foreigners working illegally in the United States to obtain legal status.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse. |
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