Congressmen Query Armed Forces About Exclusionary Enlistment Policy

"Yesterday, U.S Representatives Mike Coffman (R-CO) and Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), along with 31 Members of the House, sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Army, expressing strong concerns with possible U.S. Armed Services policy that prohibits U.S. citizens from enlisting in the military if that enlistee has an undocumented dependent: 

“Service in the U.S. military is the highest duty one can perform for the country, so I am very concerned about the possible exclusionary enlistment policies currently being implemented by our armed service branches,” said Coffman.

"There is no reason I can think of why any branch of the military should restrict the military service of individuals based on the immigration status of someone else in their family.  None.  I want to know where this is happening, why and what is being done to fix it?" said Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL), who is Chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and sits on the Judiciary Committee.

The letter to the Secretary of the Army, the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Navy, can be found here." - Rep. Mike Coffman, Nov. 22, 2013.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in his Marines uniform in 2007 (John Leyba/Denver Post)