Immigrant GIs Saluted in Iraq as New Citizens
By David K. Li
The New York Post, November 5, 2008
http://www.nypost.com/
Almost 200 immigrant American troops serving in Iraq received the ultimate reward yesterday – US citizenship.
In a moving swearing-in ceremony at Camp Victory in Baghdad, 186 fighting men and women – from 60 different nations – were granted their citizenship.
The soldiers were not able to vote in yesterday's presidential elections because they received their citizenship too late to register.
However, the symbolism of receiving their citizenship on Election Day wasn't lost on the newly minted Americans.
'I'm excited to be able to vote,' said Spc. Ruth McKoy, from the 62nd Quartermaster Company, 553rd Sustainment Brigade.
McKoy, who was born in Jamaica and joined the US Army in December 2002, is happy she'll have a say next time around.
'If something good comes out of a future election, I can say I had something to do with that,' she said. 'It's like my voice is being heard now.'
The new citizens were dressed in their fatigues and took their oath, standing and sitting under a huge American flag.
The top US commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, said. 'Diverse as your backgrounds may be, you all now have one thing in common: You are all Americans.
'You represent the very best of all that our nation stands for: freedom, opportunity, equality and service.'
The citizen-soldiers each shook hands with Gen. Odierno and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker.
They received a citizenship certificate and a folded US flag in Saddam's old Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory near the Baghdad airport.
Spc. Rasha Hennessy, from the 1st Higher Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was born in Baghdad and called US citizenship 'a privilege.'
'Honestly, I can't even think of how blessed I am to have this privilege,' she said. 'It's a great thing.'
2008 American News Articles July – December
NOVEMBER 2008
November 5. 2008: Immigrant GI's Saluted In Iraq As New Citizens ****
November 5. 2008: New Cuban Escape Route : Via Mexico ****
November 5. 2008: Postville Streets Empty As Immigration Officials Return
****
November 5. 2008: What Will Be The New US Immigration Policy? ***
November 5. 2008: Obama Wins Big Among Hispanics—With GOP's Help ***
November 5. 2008: Judge Rules Against Voting Rights Lawsuit ***
November 5. 2008: Border Agent's Retrial Another MisTrial ***
November 4. 2008: Sheriff Wins Re-Election ****
November 4. 2008: Downturn Means Less Money For Immigrants To Send Home ****
November 4. 2008: Mainstream Media : Has It Hindered Effective Policymaking On Immigration? ****
OCTOBER 2008
October 21. 2008: Cuba And Mexico Sign Deal To Deport Migrants ****
October 20. 2008: Supreme Court To Hear Case On Illegal Immigrants' Use Of Fake IDs ****
October 20. 2008: Pardon Sought For Imprisoned Agents ***
October 20. 2008: Candidates Agree On Reforming Immigration ***
October 19. 2008: Virginia GOP Already Deep Into Post Mortems ***
October 17, 2008: Now Boarding: Illegal Immigrants On One-Way Tickets Home ****
October 17, 2008: Illegal Immigration: Obama, McCain Walk A Fine Line On Divisive Issue ***
October 17, 2008: McCain Comes To Miami To Shore Up His Base ***
October 16, 2008: Spanish Ads Pit McCain, Obama Against Each Other ****
October 14, 2008: Fraud Plagues Work Visa Program ****
October 14, 2008: Hispanic Voters Graduate To Brutal Ad War ****
October 14, 2008: Immigration Lawyer Guilty Of Green Card Fraud ****
October 10, 2008: U.S. IT Jobs Dip 2% As Downturn Hits ***
October 3, 2008: Dispute Imperils California Family Planning Program For The Poor***
October 3, 2008: Green Card Applicants Required To Get HPV Vaccine****
October 3, 2008: Illegal Immigration Slows As Economy Weakens****
October 3, 2008: Spread Of Gangs Tied To Border Control***
October 3, 2008: Hispanics, Businesses That Serve Them Hit Hard By Downturn***
October 3, 2008: Immigrant Voting Push Strong***
October 2, 2008: Sanctuary Cities Trouble Feds****
October 2, 2008: McCain Revives Immigration Fight In Spanish***
October 2, 2008: Census: Big Brother Anxieties Could Hurt Count***
October 2, 2008: Texas Lawmaker Questions Legality Of College Aid For Illegal Immigrants***
October 1, 2008: Cash Pipeline To Mexico Squeezed****
October 1, 2008: New Citizenship Exam Brings New Questions, New Fears****
October 1, 2008: Obama Affirms College Policy***
October 1, 2008: Nearly 1 In 3 Texans Speaking Spanish At Home***
October 1, 2008: Immigration Law Enforcement Helps Check Criminal Street Gangs***
SEPTEMBER 2008
September 30, 2008: Illegal Immigrants A Factor In Mortgage Crisis, Activist Says****
September 30, 2008: Illegal Immigrant Arrests Plunge Along Southwest Border****
September 30, 2008: Visa Reforms Mired In Debate***
September 30, 2008: Presidential Candidates Tip Toe Around Issue Of Illegal Immigration***
September 28, 2008: Karl Rove—Architect Of The Minority Mortgage Meltdown*****
September 15, 2008: Hispanic Businesses Get Out The Vote***
September 14, 2008: Illegal Workers Booted–But What About The Bosses?***
September 14, 2008: Latinos Now Outnumber Blacks 2 To 1 In South Los Angeles****
September 12, 2008: McCain Blames Obama For Killing Immigration***
September 12, 2008: U.S. To Admit 17,000 Iraqis***
September 12, 2008: San Antonio Case Shows Gap In Anti-Terror Shield***
September 12, 2008: Report Says Immigrant Backlash A Myth***
September 11, 2008: Bishop Says Mail Response To Immigration Letter Has Been Vile****
September 11, 2008: Immigration Attorney Sentenced To 366 Days In Prison****
September 11, 2008: Delay Seen For Fence At U.S.-Mexico Line****
September 11, 2008: Deaths Fan Immigration Debate***
September 10, 2008: OECD Immigration Rises To 4 Million A Year****
September 10, 2008: Polls: Latinos Favor Obama In 3 Key States****
September 10, 2008: Immigration Policy Takes Low Profile In Political Campaigns ****
September 10, 2008: Somalis Win Prayer Case At Gold'n Plump****
September 10, 2008: Obama Blasts McCain On Immigration Reform***
September 9, 2008: Non-Citizen Voting: Is It In America's Future?****
September 9, 2008: Feds Need Extra $400 Million To Finish Border Fence****
September 5, 2008: Report Says Fraud, Abuse Are Possible Under Iraqi Visa Law ****
September 5, 2008: Immigration Issue Hardly Mentioned At GOP Convention****
September 5, 2008: GOP Hispanics Aim To Secure Votes For McCain***
September 4, 2008: Boosting Border Security Is Goal Of New UA Center****
September 4, 2008: Mexico-U.S. Frontier Culture Roughly Sundered****
September 4, 2008: Cities Re-Think ID Cards For Undocumented***
September 4, 2008: Palin's Alaska Record Short On Trade, Immigration Decisions***
September 4, 2008: LAX Employee Arrested In Alleged Smuggling Plot***
September 4, 2008: Farm Bosses In Immokalee Plead Guilty In Slavery Scheme***
September 3, 2008: Immigration Issues Re-Surface On Some State Ballots***
September 3, 2008: Border Drug Wars Threaten U.S.****
September 3, 2008: McClintock Says San Francisco Should Get No Funds For Sanctuary City Status***
September 3, 2008: Judge Denies Injunction Against Border Fence Construction***
September 3, 2008: Expect Little, If Any, Immigration Talk From McCain To Republicans***
September 2, 2008: How Many Americans?*****
September 1, 2008: California's Doldrums Sending Some Immigrant Workers Home****
September 1, 2008: Presidential Candidates Agree On Increasing H-1B Visas****
September 1, 2008: Republican Fractures Remain On Immigration Plan****
September 1, 2008: McCain Wages Battle For Latino Votes****
September 1, 2008: Hispanics Hit Hard As Workers Lose Hours, More Full Time Jobs Turn Part-Time****
September 1, 2008: (Criminal) Immigrant Prosecutions Reach A High***
AUGUST 2008
August 31, 2008: Foreclosed Homes Are Drophouse Favorites****
August 31, 2008: Cases Proceeding Against Suspected Illegal Immigrants***
August 30, 2008: Migrant Minds: The Border Is No Boundary For Some Mexican Students****
August 30, 2008: Gang Enforcers Add Deportation Orders To Arsenal Of Deterrents***
August 30, 2008: Judge Rules Against Immigration-Related Rental Ban***
August 28, 2008: GOP Platform Opposes Amnesty ****
August 28, 2008: Kerry Takes Convention Stage Again, Rips McCain ***
August 27, 2008: The Speeches They Write Often Go Unspoken****
August 27, 2008: Agents Find 62 Illegal Immigrants In Home***
August 26, 2008: Party Platform, McCain Differ On Immigration, Climate Change ****
August 26, 2008: Obama Spending Underscores Hispanic Voters' Key Role***
August 26, 2008: Employee Verification System Faulty, Some Say***
August 24, 2008: Vetted Judges More Likely To Reject Asylum Bids*****
August 23, 2008: Immigration Lawyers' Misconduct Targeted In Federal Proposal****
August 23, 2008: Immigration Agency Vows More Enforcement***
August 23, 2008: Area's Pricey Boats Catch Eye Of Thieves****
August 22, 2008: Illegal Immigrants Returning To Mexico In Record Numbers****
August 22, 2008: 5 Virtual Fence Towers On Buenos Aires Get Initial OK****
August 22, 2008: Immigration Agency Scraps Self-Deport Program****
August 20, 2008: Despite A Flood Of Federal Resources, Border Security Still An Issue****
August 20, 2008: Refugee Program Halted As DNA Tests Show Fraud****
August 20, 2008: Undocumented Immigrant In Coma Set To Be Returned To Mexico ****
August 20, 2008: Juvenile Petition Dropped***
August 19, 2008: More Charges Filed In Iowa Plant Immigration Raid****
August 14, 2008: 'Demographic Divide' On The Rise—-Whites Fall From Majority*****
August 14, 2008: Sudanese Can Stay Longer In U.S., Continue Working***
August 13, 2008: Study : Immigration To U.S. Increases Global Greenhouse-Gas Emissions*****
August 10, 2008: U.S. Is Our $51 Million For Flying 64,000 Illegals To Mexico****
August 10, 2008: Foreign Enrolment Soars In Colleges****
August 10, 2008: Law Shuts Out Some Students****
August 9, 2008: Man Deported For Fifth Time—Similar Cases On Rise****
August 9, 2008: U.S. Will Have To Remove Nogales Tunnel Barrier***
August 8, 2008: 70 Arrests Announced In ICE Anti-Gang Operation****
August 8, 2008: Immigration Stirs Up Bound Brook, Again***
August 6, 2008: An Old Scourge Persists In N.C.—Immigrants Face A Growing TB Risk***
August 6, 2008: Detainees Busted Prince William Budget***
August 5, 2008: Texas Executes Mexican Killer Amid International Protests*****
August 5, 2008: Plan Would Keep More Illegal Immigrants From Jobs****
August 4, 2008: Bureau Gearing Up For '10 Census ***
August 4, 2008: Quick Deportations Raising New Alarm ***
August 3, 2008: Medicare Fraud Rampant In South Florida *****
August 3, 2008: Immigrants Facing Deportation By U.S. Hospitals *****
August 3, 2008: More Going Back Home ****
August 3, 2008: Hard Liners Say Both Candidates Back Amnesty ***
August 3, 2008: Border Patrol Replacing Old Facilities ***
August 1, 2008: After Flurry Of GOP Amendments, Judiciary Subpanel Moves Visa Measure ****
JULY 2008
July 31, 2008: U.S. To Promote 'Self-Deportation'****
July 25, 2008: Illegal Immigrant Population Dropping****
July 18, 2008: Cubans Heading To U.S.—Via Mexico****
July 17, 2008: U.S. To Offer Green Cards To Up To 25,000 Iraqi Contractors****
July 17, 2008: Senate Poised To Lift Ban On Visitors With Aids****
July 17, 2008: Hispanics May Play Key Role At Polls****
July 15, 2008: More Illegal Immigrants Putting Affairs In Order****
July 15, 2008: Kosher Slaughterhouse Management Arrested ***
July 15, 2008: Illegal Immigrants Strain Jail Budget***
July 14, 2008: Agents Comb Jails For Immigrant Offenders ***
July 14, 2008: New York Court Of Appeals : Illegal Alien Can Be Denied Workers' Comp Benefits ***
July 11, 2008: Two Lawmakers File Bills Targeting Illegal Immigrants***
July 11, 2008: No (Post)Secondary Education For Undocumented Students***
July 11, 2008: Proposed Ban Stirs Uproar In Fremont***
July 10, 2008: Giuliani : Obama Capturing 'An Anti-American Feeling'***
July 10, 2008: McCain, Obama And La Raza***
July 7, 2008: Tower Sites Planned For Protected Public Land****
July 7, 2008: Law Students Rush To Meet Needs In Booming Field Of Immigration****
July 7, 2008: Without Funds, N.J. Hospitals Face Crisis****
July 7, 2008: State Sues Latino Stores For Illegal Rx***
July 7, 2008: American Dream Goes Global***
July 6, 2008: Feds Step Up Deportation Efforts (2 articles)****
July 6, 2008: U.S. Wants Employers To Check Workers' Social Security Numbers****
July 6, 2008: Tuition Lawsuit Cost State $175,000****
July 6, 2008: Airfares Take Toll On Ties Abroad***
July 5, 2008: Mexicans Leaving Under Duress****
July 5, 2008: Council OK's Police's Immigration Policy****
July 5, 2008: Smuggling Suspect Stuck Behind Bars Until Trial****
July 4, 2008: Revised Test Will Dig Deeper Into Citizenship****
