WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) praised the launch of a new online resource hub for military servicemembers and veterans seeking naturalization and assistance with deportation cases. Rep. Grijalva strongly supports the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative (IMMVI) through Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure a timely rollout of IMMVI’s federal resource hub to support noncitizen servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

“For too long immigrant veterans have proudly served and received the short end of the stick because of our broken immigration system,” said Rep. Grijalva. “This new resource portal is a critical step to ensure that those deported veterans receive the benefits they are owed for the service they committed to our country. I’m proud to support this initiative and will continue to seek justice for those veterans that were deported and continue to call for their expedited return home.”

On July 2, 2021, DHS and VA announced the IMMVI initiative to support noncitizen servicemembers, veterans, and their families. The initiative involves a robust interagency coordination effort in addition to creating a resource center to assist service members and their immediate family with issues related to immigration; working to remove barriers to naturalization for eligible individuals; and reviewing removal policies and practices to avoid future unjust removals of current and former service members and immediate family of service members. 

The new one-stop resource center will consolidate resources from DHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other agencies so noncitizen service members, veterans, and their families are able to easily find any needed forms and resources.  

The new portal on the DHS website will provide previously deported veterans a way to get in touch with the Department for assistance with any questions or issues they may have as they seek assistance in returning to the United States or accessing their VA benefits.  

In June 2021, Rep. Grijalva reintroduced the Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2021 with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introducing companion legislation in the Senate. The bill will allow for eligible deported veterans to return to the United States. More information on the Veterans Visa and Protection Act is available here.

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