Three Iraq Veterans Become Citizens

President Bush was particularly proud to preside over a citizenship ceremony held Monday for three soldiers who have been injured in Iraq. The president said that it was "a joyful day for these men, a joyful day for me to be here with them." He added, "It’s a privilege to be their commander in chief."

There are more than 33,000 non-U.S. citizens currently serving in the military. Bush noted that fact and said that these three were among the many "men who knew the cost of freedom and were willing to pay that cost so others could live free." When the men took the oath of citizenship, Bush responded by telling the assembly, "This isn’t going to be the first time these men have made such a promise. They took a similar oath when they became soldiers of the United States Army. And their presence here bears witness that they kept their word so that others might be free."

One of the soldiers, Spc. Noe Santos-Dilone of Brooklyn, NY, stood on crutches as the citizenship oath was being administered to him. Santos was injured last September when the convoy he was riding in was bombed. Another soldier, Pfc. Eduardo Leal-Cardenas of Los Angeles, was injured by a roadside bomb while he was returning to his base last December from a mission just south of Baghdad. The third soldier, Spc. Sergio Lopez of Bowlingbrook, IL, was injured when his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb last January south of Baghdad.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, President Bush signed an executive order making foreign-born members of the U.S. military immediately eligible for U.S. citizenship if they are serving on active duty. "It made sense to me," Bush said at the time, "that if somebody’s willing to risk their lives for our country, they ought to be full participants in our country."

While at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bush took the time to speak about his proposal for overhauling U.S. immigration laws, once again urging Congress to break their stalemate and pass "comprehensive" legislation to secure the nation’s borders. After accomplishing that, he said, the legislation should offer a temporary worker program, resolve the status of the millions of legal workers now in the United States, and enact tougher penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers. The Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill earlier this year that will offer a chance at citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants. But the House is holding a series of hearings on the subject that have been widely criticized as a political maneuver to help Republican candidates in this election year.

Bush chided Congress for their political wrangling, saying, "As our nation debates the future of our immigration policies, we must remember the contribution of these good men and all who dream of contributing to this country's future."