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Immigrants rally for military service as pathway to citizenship

E-mail|Link|Comments () May 25, 2010 06:07 PM

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

Hoping to appeal to Senator Scott Brown's commitment to the military, young illegal immigrants who wish to enlist in the armed forces gathered today at the State House and then marched to the Brown's office to urge him to support federal legislation that would grant them legal residency.

Several dozen people gathered, including some wearing T-shirts that said "Brown is Beautiful'' and others waving US flags.

"We don't want a handout, just the opportunity to prove ourselves,'' said Carlos, a 22-year-old from Cape Cod who has been in the country since he was 8. He declined to give his last name because he is undocumented.

The Dream Act, which has been pending since 2001, would grant legal residency to youths who arrived in the United States before they turned 16, lived here for five years, and enrolled in college or the military. Brown has been a member of the Massachusetts National Guard for nearly three decades.

People scheduled to speak at the rally, which started at 11 a.m. in front of the State House, include an illegal immigrant who wants to join the military, an immigrant already enlisted in the military, and a US citizen in the military. After a rally and speeches, the group marched a few blocks to Brown's Boston office in the John F. Kennedy Federal Building to publicly ask him to support the Dream Act.

Brown was in Washington, D.C., today. Two members of the group met with his staff.

Illegal immigrants have to register for the Selective Service but are barred from serving in the military.

Immigrant youths in Massachusetts and nationwide have been increasingly active in the fight for legal residency for the nation's 12 million immigrants here illegally, including an estimated 190,000 in Massachusetts -- particularly the youths.

College students -- some undocumented themselves -- persuaded the presidents of Harvard, Brown and Tufts universities, among many others, to back the federal legislation. They have held marches across the country, including the Trail of Dreams this year, where undocumented students risked deportation by disclosing their full names and walking from Miami to Washington, D.C., to promote the measure.

As they wait, they have launched Facebook groups and online campaigns to save other youth from deportation.

In recent weeks, one student representative, a US citizen, met with Brown to share stories of immigrant youths.

Brown has not taken a position on the act, but has said he would review it.