Today we share our gratitude with veterans and military families for their sacrifice on our behalf. “If you love America so much, you should go and serve the country you love.”
What happens when we serve our country, but upon returning find that our country does not love us back?
Today we applaud veterans who have fought for our American freedoms and the values of democracy we hold as a nation. We share our gratitude with veterans and military families for their sacrifice on our behalf. Among the ranks of veterans and military families are immigrants and immigrant families that see America as their home country—a home worth fighting for.
Zahid has been a permanent resident for over a decade and spent nearly six years in the Army National Guard because as his father told him, “If you love America so much, you should go and serve the country you love.”
Zahid decided to enlist for his love of country and ultimately sustained injuries to his back that now require him to use a wheelchair. After he was honorably discharged from the military for his service, Zahid applied for U.S. citizenship in 2003. That application was denied, and now Zahid is in deportation proceedings that could separate him from his wife, two step-children and four grandchildren.
Zahid and his family are not alone. Other military families are also being torn apart with each day that immigration reform is not passed into law, families like Melissa’s and Olivia’s. Even in the midst of hardship, Zahid stays positive, “I have never lost hope in the American people and I never will.”
We are making progress for immigration reform. This progress has been made possible by relentless activism—calls, faxes, emails—to move elected officials to stand on the right side of history. Soon, the Senate’s immigration reform will be debated, amended and voted upon by the full Senate. The House, meanwhile, is currently drafting their own version of an immigration reform bill.
Send a fax to your representative in the House to demand immigration reform that reflects American values. Any immigration reform bill must provide the opportunity for an earned path to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans in this country who lack documentation.
Thank you, veterans and military families, for your bravery and courageous dedication to protecting American values. You fought for us and we will fight for you. We are calling on members of the House of Representatives to support comprehensive immigration reform and the path to citizenship for all.
