Pentagon Freezes Immigrant Recruitment Program

uk canada goose military has recruited thousands of immigrants from around the globe for their specialized medical or language skills. Now the Defense Department is considering pulling out of the deal it made with those recruits because of security concerns. And some of those immigrants who were promised canada goose outlet online a fast track to citizenship in exchange for their service could face deportation instead. Here’s NPR’s Richard Gonzales. uk canada goose

RICHARD GONZALES, BYLINE: As a young boy born with polio in India, Jeevan Pendli saw the movies made in Hollywood and dreamed of immigrating to the United States.

JEEVAN PENDLI: I watched “Star Wars” movies when I was a kid back in India. And, you know, this is the land of immigrants and also the land of opportunities, and that’s why we came in. He came on a student visa, earning an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He stayed on a visa for tech workers and co founded a company that helps people with chronic illnesses manage their health. Army. You see, he grew up weak, and his father didn’t think he would amount to much physically. But he overcame polio and became a canada goose womens outlet runner. At the Marine Corps Marathon a few years ago, canada goose outlet he said he was inspired by soldiers in wheelchairs and on prosthetics. So last year, he volunteered.

PENDLI: Things seemed fine when we signed and did the oath in May, and canada goose outlet london it just fizzled out in a couple of weeks or months.

canada goose coats GONZALES: More than a year after pledging allegiance to the United States in May of 2016, Pendli is still waiting to be shipped off to basic training. Pendli and thousands of other recruits got caught up in a debate at the Pentagon over the program called Military Accessions to the Vital National https://www.canadagooseoutletshop.co.uk Interest (ph). It was frozen last year amid concerns about inadequate vetting of the recruits. The program began in 2009 to address shortages in doctors and language experts. Pendli was a prime candidate because of his background in medical technology and his expertise in Hindi and Punjabi. Under the program, the Pentagon told recruits, serve eight years honorably, and you’ll get citizenship. Ten thousand legal immigrants signed up. Here’s the founder of the program, retired Lieutenant Colonel Margaret Stock. canada goose coats

canada goose clearance sale MARGARET STOCK: We got a flood of highly qualified, highly educated canada goose outlet reviews legal immigrants canada goose coats uk who joined the military voluntarily in order to contribute their skills to America’s national defense. canada goose clearance sale

Canada Goose Jackets GONZALES: Pentagon spokesman Johnny Michael declined to discuss individual cases. According to an internal memo obtained by NPR, the Pentagon is considering dismantling the program. In the memo, Pentagon officials cited the possibility that recruits could have connections to foreign intelligence services or become insider threats. Several Defense Department sources told NPR’s Tom Bowman that the Pentagon is trying to balance national security concerns with the military’s needs for specialized skills. Canada Goose Jackets

Under the proposal outlined in the memo, immigrants already serving in buy canada goose uk the military would be flagged for enhanced security screenings. Others, like Jeevan Pendli, who still haven’t attended basic training would be separated from the military and their enlistment contracts canceled. About 1,000 of those immigrants would be at risk of deportation because their visas have expired. Sagar Dubey runs a Facebook page for recruits like himself who he says are now caught in limbo, waiting for background checks in order to go to basic training. He’s a computer engineer from India.

buy canada goose jacket SAGAR DUBEY: If you don’t canada goose outlet boston have your investigations completed, you won’t ship to training. But you won’t ship to training because your investigations are not completed. buy canada goose jacket

canada goose coats on sale GONZALES: Recruits have filed two lawsuits. One argues that the government reneged on its deal to offer them citizenship. Another contends the Pentagon discriminated against citizens naturalized through the program by denying them canada goose outlet locations in toronto security clearances and stalling their military careers. The founder of the program, the retired lieutenant colonel Stock, says the proposal to dismantle it could be a violation of the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. canada goose coats on sale

cheap Canada Goose STOCK: They’re subjecting this whole entire group of people to this extreme vetting, and it’s not based on any individualized suspicion of any of these people. In fact, it’s clear that a lot of the people are above reproach, you know. They’ve passed all kinds of security checks already. And that canada goose outlet england in itself is unconstitutional. cheap Canada Goose

GONZALES: In the memo, Pentagon officials acknowledge potential legal problems. The officials also say the Defense Department may need to develop a public affairs strategy before canceling enlistment contracts. Richard Gonzales, NPR News.

buy canada goose jacket cheap (SOUNDBITE OF BOARDS OF CANADA’S “CHROMAKEY DREAMCOAT”) buy canada goose jacket cheap

cheap canada goose uk NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary cheap canada goose uk.