Text 3069, 111 rader
Skriven 2006-07-24 23:34:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0607242) for Mon, 2006 Jul 24
====================================================
===========================================================================
Fact Sheet: Honoring Immigrant Members of America's Armed Services
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 24, 2006

Fact Sheet: Honoring Immigrant Members of America's Armed Services


˙˙˙˙˙ President Bush Attends Naturalization Ceremony ˙˙˙˙˙

Today, President Bush Attended A Naturalization Ceremony For Three Members
Of The Armed Forces. These brave troops - all of whom have been injured
while serving in the War on Terror - were eligible for immediate
naturalization because of an Executive Order the President signed after
September 11, 2001. The three troops who became citizens are Army
Specialist Sergio Lopez, Army Private First Class Eduardo Leal-Cardenas,
and Army Specialist "Lito" Santos-Delone.

America Is Stronger And More Dynamic When We Welcome New Citizens Like
These Service Members

There Is No More Fitting Way To Demonstrate Appreciation For The Brave
Actions Of Non-Citizen Troops Than By Granting Qualified Service Members
U.S. Citizenship As Quickly As Possible. More than 33,000 non-citizens
currently serve in our military, putting their lives on the line to defend
liberties and freedoms they have yet to secure for themselves. The
President believes those willing to risk their lives for our democracy
should be full participants in our democracy.

As Our Nation Debates The Future Of Our Immigration Policies, We Must
Remember The Contribution Of These Men And Women. The President believes
America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time.
He supports comprehensive immigration reform that will secure our borders,
create a temporary worker program, make it easier for employers to verify
employment eligibility and continue to hold them to account for the legal
status of workers they hire, deal with the millions of illegal immigrants
who are already here, and honor the great American tradition of the melting
pot.

After September 11, 2001, President Bush Signed Executive Order 13269
Making Foreign-Born Members Of Our Military Eligible For Immediate
Naturalization.
  ū Non-Citizen Members Of The U.S. Military Can Receive Immediate
    Naturalization Through Active Duty Service During Periods Of Military
    Hostilities. Section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
    allows non-citizens to receive immediate naturalization through their
    active duty service in the Armed Forces during periods of military
    hostilities, if the President designates by Executive Order that the
    armed services are or were engaged in armed conflict with a hostile
    foreign force.

Since September 11, 2001, More Than 26,000 Service Men And Women In The
U.S. And Overseas Have Been Naturalized. During 2005, more than 6,000
military service members were naturalized, including 1,006 service members
naturalized overseas during ceremonies in Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq,
Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Spain, the United Kingdom and in the Pacific
aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.

While Military Service Members Are Exempt From Many Naturalization
Requirements Outlined In The INA, They Must Meet Certain Requirements And
Qualifications To Become A U.S. Citizen. These include:
  ū Demonstrating good moral character;
  ū Demonstrating knowledge of the English language;
  ū Demonstrating knowledge of U.S. government and history; and
  ū Taking an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution much like the
    oath they took when they became members of the U.S. armed forces.

Biographies Of The Three Naturalized Soldiers

Specialist Noe Santos-Dilone, Originally From The Dominican Republic:
Specialist Santos, 21, of Brooklyn, New York, was injured on September 6,
2005, on a mission north of Baghdad traveling in a four-vehicle convoy. His
humvee was leading the convoy and was hit by an Explosively Formed
Projectile triggered by a laser. The driver and passenger were killed in
action and a third passenger sustained serious injuries. Specialist
Santos-Dilone's injuries included having his left leg amputated up to the
hip. He was a member of the Headquarters Headquarters Company Division
Support Brigade with the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart,
Georgia. He is presently assigned to Medical Hold Company in Walter Reed
Army Medical Center.

Specialist Sergio Lopez, Originally From Mexico: Specialist Lopez, 24, of
Bowlingbrook, Illinois, joined the Army in January of 2003 and is a member
of the 1st Battalion 12th Infantry Regiment 4th Brigade Combat Team out of
the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. He was hit by an IED on
January 4, 2006, while driving a humvee on a mission south of Baghdad. The
force of the blast shattered both his legs. When he returned home on
January 11, 2006, he made the difficult decision to have both legs
amputated and is now undergoing physical therapy to learn how to walk using
prosthetic legs.

Private First Class Eduardo Leal-Cardenas, Originally From Mexico: PFC
Cardenas, 21, of Los Angeles, California, was injured by an IED on December
6, 2005, returning to the base from a mission just south of Baghdad. The
blast shattered the bones in both legs, broke his femur, broke his ribs,
broke his back and neck. He was thrown out of the vehicle and his company
returned fire and were engaged in small arms fire for limited time. The
enemy was eliminated, and he was then picked up by a medical helicopter and
taken to the U.S. Army hospital in Baghdad. He is close to returning to
duty at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He is a member of the 101st Airborne
Division, 2nd Battalion 502.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060724-2.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)