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Citizenship Proposed for Military in Combat

Apr 23, 2003 
CHICAGO (AP) An Illinois congressman says anyone who is willing to fight for this country should be made a citizen.

US Representative Luis Gutierrez says he plans to submit the "Fairness for American Heroes Act." It would grant automatic citizenship to any soldier who is called into combat. The Chicago Democrat says the act would be retroactive to September 11, 2001.

About 37,000 active members of the military are non-citizens who are legal, permanent residents of this country. Gutierrez says he's not sure how many of those are serving in combat and would qualify for citizenship under his proposal.

The Department of Defense says ten of the servicemen killed in Iraq were not US citizens.

(© 2003 The Associated Press.)

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