IMMIGRATION
And Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said that any enlistee entering the military undergoes security screenings.
Zhao, 31, said his “ship out” date to basic training was delayed for two years as he underwent background checks, counterintelligence interviews and rigorous reviews added as requirements for immigrant enlistees.
He continued to pursue his doctorate in geography at Texas A&M but also hit the gym, prepping for boot camp. And he trained — in uniform — with his unit. He had military identification and health care, he said.
In April, Zhao visited Washington for the first time, touring the White House and visiting the Republican National Committee.
That same month, he got word from his unit
commander: He was being discharged. He was told simply that his discharge was “uncharacterized,” he said.
“I’m not a national threat,” Zhao said. “On the contrast, I’m a national merit because people like me with higher education and critical skills, we want to serve this great U.S. Army. I’m a good scientist no matter what.”
To become citizens, immigrant recruits are required to have served honorably for 180 days. But the recently discharged members have had their basic training delayed, so they can’t be naturalized.
Immigration attorneys told the AP that many immigrants let go in recent weeks received an “uncharacterized discharge,” which is neither dishonorable nor honorable.
President George W. Bush ordered “expedited naturalization” for immigrant soldiers in 2002 in an effort to swell military ranks. Seven years later, the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program, known as MAVNI, became an Panshu Zhao, pictured this year at an Army Reserve installation in Houston, is one of many devastated immigrant military recruits now struggling with abrupt, mysterious discharges from the service.
official recruiting program.
The program came under fire from conservatives when President Barack Obama added DACA recipients to the list of eligible enlistees. In response, the military layered additional security clearances for recruits to pass before heading to boot camp.
Donald Trump’s
administration added more hurdles, creating a backlog within the Defense Department. Last fall, hundreds of recruits still in the enlistment process had their contracts canceled. A few months later, the military suspended MAVNI.
Republican Congressman Andy Harris of Maryland,
who has supported legislation to limit the program, told the AP that MAVNI was established by executive order and never properly authorized by Congress.
According to Air Force Maj. Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokeswoman, the “overwhelming majority” of MAVNI candidates are from Asia and Africa because they have language skills needed in the military.
As of April, 1,100 immigrant recruits were awaiting basic training while undergoing security reviews, the Pentagon said.
Eligible recruits are required to have legal status in the U.S. before enlisting. More than 5,000 immigrants were recruited into the program in 2016, and an estimated 10,000 are currently serving.
Zhao is now rethinking his future but said he wishes he had a chance to appeal.
“I need justice,” he said. “This is America. This is not China. This is not the Middle East. This is not a dictatorship. And that’s why I love America.”