[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wrote to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) demanding both agencies quickly rescind an offensive policy update that will harm members of the U.S. Armed Forces, military families and civil servants who serve our nation abroad. This update would make it harder for children of servicemembers and government employees serving overseas to acquire citizenship, forcing certain U.S. servicemembers, military families and civil servants to pay an application fee of $1,170 and maneuver through red tape.
“This [change] represents the worst type of policy: it is confusing, cynical, unnecessary and unfair. Worst of all, this policy update harms our national interest and disrespects the service of certain U.S. servicemembers and civil servants,” Duckworth said. “If even one active duty U.S. servicemember deployed overseas is forced to spend $1,170 to ‘prove’ their child is worthy of U.S. citizenship, that is one too many.”
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Duckworth has been a vocal opponent of the Trump Administration’s treatment of servicemembers and Veterans. In a recent interview onNBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Duckworth spoke out against the Trump Administration’s reported plans to end protections against the deportation of military families – including the spouses, parents and children of active-duty servicemembers. Last month, she led 21 Senate Democrats in demanding the Trump administration restore protections for military families immediately. Earlier this year, Duckworth re-introduced a comprehensive bill package to protect Veterans and servicemembers from unfair treatment.
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