Support our immigrant veterans

Dear American Legion Family members and friends, 

Every day, a group of 45,000 honorable servicemembers risk their lives to keep America safe. Their patriotism, selfless service and love for our country is no different than ours.

However, too often they find their path to U.S. citizenship a complicated, bureaucratic maze filled with uncertainty. And instead of becoming American citizens through their military service, these veterans are denied that opportunity and left to find a new homeland, or risk their life to return to their native country.

The American Legion supports H.R. 4569, the Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2023, which honors the sacrifices of our immigrant servicemembers by giving them enhanced opportunities to become U.S. citizens and preventing their unjust deportation from the country they swore an oath to defend.

Reps. Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., are co-sponsoring the bipartisan legislation. In a letter I sent to them, I wrote, “Men and women who served honorably should not face undue barriers to citizenship or face deportation from the country they served or fought to defend. Congress must act to ensure our nation honors the service of non-citizen immigrants who have honorably served our nation.”

As veterans, we owe it to our brothers and sisters who are caught in this quagmire. While our birthplaces may be different, our love of country is the same.

Join The American Legion in calling for Congress to streamline the process for immigrant veterans to more easily obtain their citizenship which they earned through their service to our country. Sign up for our Grassroots Action Center so you can easily contact your representative and encourage them to support this legislation.

Thank you for your support and your continued service to making this nation the greatest one on earth.

National Commander  

Daniel J. Seehafer