Undocumented Immigrants In U.S. Allowed To Serve In Military Under New Ruling

According to recent reports from the Military Times, the Department of Defense has announced that undocumented immigrants can now serve in the U.S. military. The ruling is part of an already-existing program — called Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) — which allows foreign nations with special skills to serve for the country.

The Military Times further reveals that the Pentagon's program will place a limit of 1,500 recruits per year. The new rule, which was announced on Thursday, only applies to immigrants who meet the requisites of Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA), outlined by the Obama administration. Under DACA guidelines, undocumented immigrants who entered the country before the age of 16, with no criminal history and having graduated high school or earned a GED certificate, can qualify.

"These are kids who entered the country at a fairly young age and have basically grown up in the United States, so the limit of their language talents would probably be the language that they received at home," an insider told the Military Times, adding that anywhere between 1.2 million to 2.1 million people could qualify for the program.

Many immigration advocates have been applauding this new rule, which is being called "backdoor amnesty" by Republicans, saying that it is a good temporary fix to the current immigration crisis. But others are not so keen.

"It's shameful that the Obama administration is using a law meant to protect the national security interests of the United States as a means to accomplish its political agenda," said Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican who chairs the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives in a statement to VICE News.