‘The illegitimate squatter in the WH’ tries but fails to take citizenship from soldiers. Twitter implodes.

U.S. Army

You can die for America, but you cannot become an American citizen. That is how Donald Trump would like to reward non-citizens serving in the military for the United States.

Congress once promised that individuals who had put their lives on the line for America would earn a path to citizenship, through the Immigration and Nationality Act. In 2017, all that changed after Trump came to power.

Until six individuals fought back

In April this year, six non-citizen members for the U.S. military service were denied the path to citizenship that had been long promised by Congress. They filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Defense, representing thousands more individuals in the same position.

History was made on Tuesday as these six individuals won a landslide victory against the Trump administration. A federal court ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny thousands of U.S. military service members a right to citizenship. The same citizenship rights many had fought for in the first place.

ACLU stands up

The six individuals who took the case to court were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California and the District of Columbia. The lawsuit was filed in the District of Columbia federal court.

The service members in question called the policy change implemented by the Trump administration in 2017 unlawful. They pointed out it violated the promise enshrined by Congress that any non-citizen who served honorably in armed conflict on behalf of the United States of America could naturalize.

If you are willing to die for America, you should have the right to become an American.

A moral imperative

ACLU announced the ruling:

The promise of citizenship Congress has made to non-citizen service members is not just an important recruitment tool. It is a moral imperative embedded in our history, values, and laws.

The policy change introduced by the Trump administration did not only revoke the right to citizenship to individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for America. The new policy also exposed non-citizen service members to more significant risks in combat zones, as they would be denied access to consular services and those protections awarded American citizens.

Two of the plaintiffs in the case fear their uncertain immigration statuses could lead to deportation.

An important recruitment tool

The enlistment of non-citizen service members is crucial for the Army to maintain recruitment numbers. Between 2002 and 2013, the Army was only able to recruit sufficient numbers for its active-duty through enlisting non-citizens.

Ange Samma is one of the six plaintiffs in the case. He is on active duty serving as a soldier for the United States in South Korea. He declared that while it was “frustrating and heartbreaking” to be denied the promised citizenship, he would “continue to honor [his] commitment. It’s what [he] would expect any American solider to do.”

Remember: the man trying to revoke the rights to citizenship from these men and women willing to die for America, is a five-time draft dodger.

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