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Bill would grant citizenship for service

With the possible backing of the Pentagon, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat will offer an amendment to the 2008 defense authorization bill that allows some undocumented immigrants to receive citizenship through military service.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, would allow someone who was younger than 16 when they came to the U.S., has been in the country for at least five years and graduated from high school to become a legal immigrant by serving two years in the military.

“It turns out that many in the Department of Defense believe, as I do, that the DREAM Act is an important part of making certain we have talented young men and women ready to serve in our military,” said Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s assistant Democratic leader and chief sponsor of the bipartisan proposal.

Durbin said he will offer his plan as an amendment to the defense bill, which is on the Senate floor this week for debate.

David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary for military personnel policy, have spoken in favor of using the promise of legal status as a way to help fill the military’s ranks with quality people. Chu has spoken about the need to ensure that undocumented aliens, currently barred from enlisting, get a shot at serving in the military. Carr specifically endorsed the DREAM Act as a “very appealing” way of getting new recruits.

Durbin said his staff has “worked closely” with the Defense Department on the legislation.

Military recruiting would benefit, Durbin said. “Largely due to the war in Iraq, the Army is struggling to meets its recruitment goals,” he said. “Under the DREAM Act, tens of thousands of well-qualified potential recruits would become eligible for military service for the first time. They are eager to serve in the armed forces during a time of war.”

In addition to allowing immigrants to get legal status from military service, the DREAM Act also would grant legal status for attending two years of college. Durbin said one reason to do that is “it would be inconsistent with the spirit of our volunteer military to force young people to enlist as a condition for obtaining legal status.”

That poses a problem, because the Senate tried and failed to pass an immigration reform bill in late June, largely because of strong objections from conservative Republicans who were not swayed by the Bush administration’s support for a sweeping bill.

Still, he said, there is a “strong incentive for military service” and some evidence that as a demographic group, immigrants are “predisposed towards military service.”

“Immigrants have an outstanding tradition of service in the military,” he said, noting there are about 35,000 noncitizens serving in the military and about 8,000 enlist every year.