Mission of the VA is to serve veterans, not unauthorized migrants: Darin Selnick

[RocksInMyHead]

If it's just a "billing thing" ... there are many agencies that could do that

Such as?

.... so why did the pick the VA?

Because they had the system best suited to ICE's needs? Because the costs of working with their system were lower? Who knows? The VA's claims processing system (VA-FSC) was designed to be used by other government agencies though: VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

And note that they've had this arrangement since 2002.

 

[eleos1954]

I don't know about the billing thing but my VA is terrible where I live we can't seem to keep doctors.

I don't think this is true because I thought the minimum enlistment was 3 years. I've been hearing about amnesty for 15 years and it's proven that the politicians don't want it on both sides. Whenever we had a unified government they were quite like church mice. It was only when we were divided that they mentioned it. We can't keep doing the status quo and joining the military is a viable option.

U.S. Citizenship Through Military Service | Military OneSource

 

[RocksInMyHead]

U.S. Citizenship Through Military Service | Military OneSource

This only applies to people in the country legally. Illegal immigrants are not currently eligible for military service and cannot use it as a path to citizenship.

 

[eleos1954]

Such as?

Because they had the system best suited to ICE's needs? Because the costs of working with their system were lower? Who knows? The VA's claims processing system (VA-FSC) was designed to be used by other government agencies though: VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

And note that they've had this arrangement since 2002.

well ... we will see what happens ... right now we are involved in two wars .... military service enrollment is down

How much has military enlistment dropped? Slightly more than 148,000 people enlisted in the US armed forces in 2020, a 58% decline from 1980, when 360,745 new people enlisted in the military. The number of applications to the military has dropped 73% over that same time, from 768,532 to 205,105.

We will see what happens.

 

[Laodicean60]

U.S. Citizenship Through Military Service | Military OneSource

If that's the case it should be longer,

 

[RocksInMyHead]

well ... we will see what happens ... right now we are involved in two wars .... military service enrollment is down

How much has military enlistment dropped? Slightly more than 148,000 people enlisted in the US armed forces in 2020, a 58% decline from 1980, when 360,745 new people enlisted in the military. The number of applications to the military has dropped 73% over that same time, from 768,532 to 205,105.

We will see what happens.

I can definitely see the military turning to unorthodox and/or controversial recruiting pools as enlistment shrinks. The point I'm making is that your attempts to tie it to ICE making use of the VA's claims processing portal (in which doctors submit claims for treatment reimbursement for individuals in ICE custody), something that it's been doing for over 20 years, are tenuous at best.

 

[SimplyMe]

U.S. Citizenship Through Military Service | Military OneSource

I agree he was wrong but he did raise a valid point, what does them getting it after one year really matter? The fact remains, whether they get citizenship after one year or three years, they still have to serve in the military for a minimum of three years -- they can't just "quit" after they get their citizenship. And, also as pointed out, the "one year" program is rather strict and not something illegal aliens qualify for.

Personally, my opinion would be that signing up for US military service would allow you to become a "qualified" US citizen when you enlist -- with the idea that citizenship would be removed upon exiting the military, and revoked if you did not serve Honorably (an "honorable discharge"). To me, it makes sense that all military members should be US Citizens, regardless of if birth or naturalization. Of course, I'm not sure that my idea of "conditional" citizenship would be Constitutional.

At least to me, a person who honorably serves in the US Armed Forces, willing to fight and die for the US, is a person we should want as a citizen.

 

[Arcangl86]

And my understanding is that the military citizenship program actually requires the person to already be qualified to be a citizen. All it does is reduce (or realistically right now waive) the normal time required as a green card holder before naturalization can occur. In other words it's a fast track, not a separate path.

 

[comana]

If it's just a "billing thing" ... there are many agencies that could do that .... so why did the pick the VA?

Why not? This specific billing system is what all vendors for the VA use. ICE is essentially renting that service. For VA Communifty medical bill processing and payment the VA has contracted that out to third party administrators, in my region it is Triwest. So ICE utilizing the VA payment system does not affect Community Care anyway despite what Fox News would have viewers believe.

 

[Hans Blaster]

If it's just a "billing thing" ... there are many agencies that could do that .... so why did the pick the VA?

Maybe because the VA runs a large system of clinics and hospitals and has large experience working with medical billing systems.

What other US government agencies or departments have similar software to handle ICE's needs?

 

[linux.poet]

I thought ICE was the government agency that was deporting illegal immigrants. Aren't ICE and the VA on the same side of the political spectrum and thus on the same team?

 

[Arcangl86]

If it's just a "billing thing" ... there are many agencies that could do that .... so why did the pick the VA?

1) Most government agencies don't provide services outside their own agency. The biggest exception is the Franchise Funds like the Financial Services Center, of which there appear to be five. (I say appear because 6 were created and I've only found evidence of 5.) Besides the VA they are in Treasury, FAA, Interior and HHS. There is some overlap, but they all provide specific specialized services as well.
2) Medical billing is specialized work and only the FSC does it.
3) The way franchise funds work is that they are required to be paid for the services they provide and receive no appropriated funds. IN other words, even if ICE didn't have this particular contract it wouldn't have freed up any additional resources for the VA to use on other things.

 

[USincognito]

Yes it does .... it shortens the path to citizenship and that is what the Biden administration wants.

Funny how service earns citizenship has been around for decades then.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1439&num=0&edition=prelim

 

[USincognito]

Just saying military service by migrants is the long term plan ... and by having the VA handle the billing ... is just the first step towards that.

Can you not understand what you're claiming is straight out of a conspiracy theory movie where the protagonist is standing in front of a wall with bits of paper and photos connected by red yarn?

 

[Vambram]

Funny how service earns citizenship has been around for decades then.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1439&num=0&edition=prelim

When I was active duty in the Army, I served with LEGAL immigrants who were not yet citizens. However, as far as I know, the US Military has never allowed ILLEGAL immigrants to serve in the military. I hope and pray that will never change.

 

[USincognito]

When I was active duty in the Army, I served with LEGAL immigrants who were not yet citizens. However, as far as I know, the US Military has never allowed ILLEGAL immigrants to serve in the military. I hope and pray that will never change.

I know that. Maybe you should tell that to the poster I replied to who apparently doesn't.

 

[eleos1954]

By that logic, my paying with a credit card at my local coffee shop is the first step towards me getting a job as a software developer with Square.

Not even the same logic

 

[eleos1954]

Durbin? This has been going on for at least twenty years. Bush signed an EO in 2002

U.S. government offers citizenship through military service

U.S. government offers citizenship through military service

www.army.mil

The U.S. government is offering American citizenship to immigrant Soldiers through an expedited process in turn for their military service. If immigrants have correct documentation and are approved for the expedited process, they may receive citizenship in as little as three months.A,A Former President George W. Bush signed an executive order in July 2002 permitting immigrants with green cards to become U.S. citizens upon being sworn in, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

True ... but we haven't had mass migration (millions) until now ... seems "coincidental" that 1. US military enrollment is down significantly and 2. We are involved in 2 wars and 3. It is being brought up .. we will see how this plays out.

 

[Vambram]

Not even the same logic

I agree. It's not even close to the same logic at all.

 

[Pommer]

Government finding a way to operate more efficiently is now “bad”?
Okay, good to know!