In a U.S. Supreme Court case INS v. Mendoza (No. 82849). a veteran claimed that due to the unavailability of an examiner In the Philippines for 9 months. the Justice Department cannot deny his petition for naturalization under the 1940 act. The high court ruled. however. that the Justice Department was not astopped by improper implementation from challenging each petition legally. Therefore. for every Filipino veteran who petitions for naturalization under this law. the Justice Department could deny and deport. Moreover. the Justice Department now finds itself confronted with numerous lawsuits filed by Filipino veterans to recover a right Congress granted them. These Individuals now stand a chance of losing their long quest for citizenship that we offered for their bravery in our struggle to maintain peace and security. In addition. these veterans are near or are at retirement age with well established families in the United States. To hold a threat of being deported from a country they have called home for years. and being separated from families they have labored to maintain is purely unjust. My bill seeks to restore the benefit offered under the 1940 act by extending the filing deadline for 180 days. During the 98th and 99th Congresses. I attempted to add the same measure on to the Immigration Reform Act(s) only to fall short of floor consideration. It is my hope that this historical Congress will mark an end of this 40yearold struggle. For the information of my colleagues.
Keywords matched
naturalization deported Immigration