Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced a bill called the “Enlist Act of 2023” that would allow undocumented immigrants to serve in the U.S. military.
The bill, introduced in July, was the center of a recent speech by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL).
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin called for Republicans to work with Democrats on immigration reform.
“Yes, we need order at the border. Yes, we need to have changes in the laws that reflect the reality of the overwhelming numbers from all over the world who are coming to our shores and our border. But there’s also an incredible demand for legal immigration into this country even now,” Durbin said, according to Prairie State Wire.
“The presiding officer, my colleague from the state of Illinois, has legislation which addresses one aspect of that. Her bill, and I hope I describe it accurately, says that if you are an undocumented person in this country and you can pass the physical and the required background test the like, you can serve in our military. And if you do it honorably, we will make you citizens of the United States. Do we need that? You know what the recruiting numbers are.”
“Do you know what the recruiting numbers are at the Army, Navy, and the Air Force? They can’t reach their quotas each month. They can’t find enough people to join our military forces. And there are those who are undocumented who want the chance to serve and risk their lives for this country. Should we give them a chance? I think we should,” Durbin stated. “In my state of Illinois, in Chicago, [and] in the rural areas downstate, we’re holding our breath hoping that we can keep hospitals open. You know why? We don’t have enough medical personnel. And yet there are people all around this world who have medical credentials as doctors and nurses and skilled technicians who want to come to the United States, but we don’t give them the chance.”
Representative Randy Weber (R-TX) said, “So, the Democrats want to flood the country with illegal aliens, enlist them in the military, and make them citizens.”
“They broke the laws invading this country, and they expect them to take an oath to support and defend our nation? Are they out of their minds?”
The U.S. military has faced recruitment difficulties since mandating the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The initial push for an ineffective, unlawful vaccine followed by it being rescinded has resulted in a betrayal of trust beyond what words can describe,” described Navy Commander Rob Green. “There is no doubt in my mind that recruitment and retention will suffer much more than it is now.”
