The story of a Florida veteran denied US citizenship attracts nationwide attention 

shoulda come with his DD214, release from service.

He knew the rules. It’s his own fault he’s having troubles.

@@williamwilson6499he was misled ! Military Recruiters should be held accountable!

If you serve this country. If you're willing to die for our country, you should be a citizen, Plain and simple!

This happens when a radical leftist is the president

no, no, no....never believe it.....musta been a hex. None of our fine recruiters, also called meat butchers by the familiar would stoop to such lows. Like giving a man his school in the last six months of his sentence, er enlistment.

No people from our hemisphere may swear into Armed forces. While serving take the required classes for citizenship. Been going on for well at least 70's if they party put it off they may be deported.

That recruiter is evil!

He's a Marine, not a soldier.

​@@BigDawg87Clicked in to say this 🤛

There are illegal immigrants though.

Tell that to Leonard Lawrence...

I know many who lost the right to call themselves Marines. I do not like that you all consider yourselves better than other veterans and you all know that you do.

Yup, unless you get booted from the Corps.

​@@BabyGirlDontEvenPlaysays who? He was willing to die and serve for the country, he is not an illegal immigrant.

He's an illegal immigrant.

But he is an illegal? Isn't that what your right talks about all the time

@@lpk6372He was never illegal Einstein. He is a legal resident but not a US citizen. The ignorance is alarming.

@@nunzionapoli6325are you always so condescending?

He is nothing by a soldier of fortune, signing up on the promise of naturalisation to go out and kill other humans.

going to defend other countries citizens and or trying to stand up to subversives and extortionist propagandas here.

I totally agree with you, and it is a damn shame what American government does to people who perform the ultimate service for the country. My two uncles served in Vietnam and neither were citizens. One was killed in Nam. My two cousins and I initially served on active duty as non citizens. I got my citizenship after 6 yrs into my 10 year enlistment. They also got theirs during their enlistments, and they both served in the two gulf wars. We have done more for America than most people who were born in America. I remember when I took my citizenship written exam, and after I got my score of 100, the proctor who was a US citizen told me that she had difficulty passing the same exam several times. Some people like to call themselves patritots when it suits them, but have never done a damn thing for America.

Agreed 💯

When you sign up to the army or whatever branch as a foreigner in order to expedite your citizenship during a time when there is no wars, you are making it more of a burden on tax paying American citizens to both pay him a wage which he would have not gotten without a greencard, or any visa, and VA benefits as well as their future children's benefits towards college. This is not something that we can freely give away and is a huge reason on why our debt is so high even if its only '1 guy.

We don't need more potential white supremacists in our country.

my word they have their own hospitals...

@@tommas2674 And they don't help the people they're supposed to help. They didn't do anything while my father was in pain. He just kept going there, tell them his knees hurt, take x-rays, and tell him nothing was wrong. REPEATEDLY!

@storozhevoy75 This is why the military need an extreme downsize.

@@blazingbattlehawk9626 Among so many other things.

@@tommas2674that is super slow and doesn’t always help those in need. My dad goes for eye care and always has issues with prescriptions.

So did so many minorities where who were already deported. Now it matters because he's white. The state dept is separate from the DOD. It's his job and responsibility to apply with immigration. Another entitled white guy. White illegals outnumber minorities yet nobody does anything against them.

I don't recall the military taking up arms against the tyrants in DC. He didn't put his life on the line for this country. He was in the military, they fight for the Tyrants.

@joebaretta151 He gets nothing if he doesn't file for it.

He broke the law he is an illegal.

No disrespect, but it appears that he is in Florida.

@@blkmacster Florida is lame, as well.

Since when is US citizenship granted by states? It's a federal issue. What state he happens to reside in has no bearing. Nice try, though.

States don't decide citizenship. The dementia in chief does.

@@wmpmacm Can't argue that.

not necessarily

@lowellyowell2922 Not if he didn't file an application for citizenship.

@@tflg3257exactly everyone up in arms about this case with out know the facts …is negligence on his part for not applying immediately when he has in service or right after getting discharge , but nooooo. He did just like almost every resident who waits for ever to apply and then cry about it when denied. I serve and was in the same situation he was in, but I did apply for citizenship while I was in service costing me $90 for the process. In the other hand my brother still not a citizen and what is he waiting for …who knows but the application now is $750 I think.

As a Marine he would have needed help. I processed my own paperwork while I was enlisted, but I was Air Force and had my own office computer with internet. Command gave me time-off to get processed and go drive hours away to get Naturalized in another city. I took my sweet time coming back and almost came in late to work the next week lol.

@@Ryan_Christopherrear area 🤡

He wasn't told about any necessity to get ANY paperwork DONE.

@@bobfg3130 du i no speaking english

FACTS 💯

Sounds like a You problem. Trust the government and you will always be screwed..

You're supposed to sign up for it, if I recall correctly you fill out the form the first day of bootcamp. What you can do is take classes while on active duty and have your tuition paid.

Don't you get the GI Bill?

@@RMMomma4Eva gi bill is nothing compared to army college fund...

@@6254KLR Thanks for letting me know!

Exactly! This happens all the time. Why all the attention now?

@@Anhedonis Because this one of the few times a YT man wasn't believed and was denied so now its national news 1000s of Hispanic, African, Asian, Indian service members served in all of our wars to gain US citizenship most were denied right after the wars ended.

Wouldn't he have become a US citizen the moment he landed on US soil?

@@MuzzaHukka You are talking about the old "wet foot/dry foot" policy. No, if you escaped Cuba, and landed on dry land, you were automatically granted ASYLUM, not citizenship (if you were caught at sea, you were returned to Cuba). No one automatically gets that. And he immigrated legally from Cuba as a child with his family, not a refugee. My family came from Cuba in the 50s. Got Green Cards-that's it (my mother never became a US citizen). The closest thing to automatic citizenship I've ever seen was a close friend whose father had been a colonel in the South Vietnamese army. When they finally got to the US, a senator got them citizenship through an act of Congress.

Funny thing - I was approached by an Army recruiter at a bus stand to join the Army like 2 years ago. I am 6ft tall with an athletic body. He was in uniform along with his colleague. I was skeptical at first thinking it was a scam of some kind but within minutes, I realized he was genuine. I couldn’t believe it 😂 Although I have no interest in joining the armed forces due to the very low pay, he did offer me help with citizenship saying ‘people who join any armed force organization’ get their citizenship very quickly 😂

Same, from Finland. With disgust.

​@@janemiettinen5176same, from Germany. These are the stories that go around the world. They make America look untrustworthy in the eyes of the rest of the world. Why should the world trust the U.S. when all they do is look for loopholes and outs in order to escape fulfilling agreements.

@@janemiettinen5176 Can i become a citizen of Finland by assumption?

Melania and her parents.

​@@jeb1273Melania provided FULL service, not military service. That sure meets the "far less" mentioned in the original comment.

It's not. You have to get a consular report of birth if you have a child in a foreign country. A foreign birth certificate is not proof of citizenship.

@@JosephineEze79 Could you be missing the point? It seems so. Are you a government bureaucrat?

@@lizlee6290 Lol, no I'm an immigrant, living in the US. If there was a bar exam just for US immigration law, I would pass it, because I've studied these laws for over a decade. I've also helped so many ppl legally migrate to this country, so I know what I'm talking about. There is a list of documents that are accepted to prove us citizenship. A foreign birth certificate is not. Imagine if ppl all over the world start showing up in the US claiming to be US citizens because their birth certificate said so. A consular report of birth is for foreign-born Americans and you MUST get this for your child if they were born aboard. It's a very strenuous process too because they have to verify that at least 1 of the parent is American. Argue with the lawmakers if you want to change this, not me.

It's called the child citizen act. He has to claim his US citizenship before turning 18. Looks like he never did anything and assumes he was automatically an US citizen.

@@JosephineEze79 Can the guy still get the consular report now, since his parents were both American, even though they didn't get it at the time?

If you're born in the US, you are (almost) automatically an US citizen

@@boink800 not if you are born at home to parents who are too afraid to register your birth.

@@Uncommonsenses The US birth certificate is proof of your US citizenship

There is no guarantee that you will become a citizen just because you applied to be one. Armed Forces have never guaranteed citizenship if you serve. The only thing they say is that instead of waiting 5 years is that you may only have to wait for a year. The best thing that anyone who is serving or plans on serving that is not a US citizen is to go to the USCIS website and see what the policy is currently and then check again before you apply to see if it is different. Guidelines or policies change all the time often without any previous notifications that its going to happen.

@@srivkind12 During the Iraq war people were told they would get citizenship. My son went through basic training with several Philipinos who were told exactly that.

@@srivkind12 You don't know what are talking about. Sorry, please read more

@@fjavier2mj Kind of sure I do but whatever. It's not like I'm a veteran who worked with people who got their citizenship after serving. :)

Follow the law, come here legally, and there's no issue. This guy needs deported.

@@BufordDuckworth How did he not follow the law or came here illegally? Joining the US military was once a way for immigrants to become US citizens. And that is what a military recruiter told him, it's not like the guy snuck into the country like what we are seeing today.

@@Greatday68 He obviously didn't do it right or he would be a citizen, now wouldn't he?

Ther are plenty of stories of people that have been let down by immigration or even for example, social security.

​@@BufordDuckworthbut the countless illegals who come here and kill rob and rpe get to stay? Wow

Don't give up, get a free immigration lawyer to help you straighten this out.

If you have your US Citizenship Certificate, that means you are an US citizen

@@boink800 YOU WOULD THINK. SSN doesnt think so, so i cant get a job. they wouldnt tell me my status over the phone so i had to file a FOIA to find out what I am now. it makes no sense why they wouldnt just tell me. I cant go to a branch because there are no options to choose from over the phone that match my situation and they wont let me walk in with an appointment. they do reach out for taxes though

@@boink800 ive look myself up with the info on the certificate and nothings shows up.

Obviously you never went through the naturalization process. You thought it was going to happen automatically without you signing any documents or taking the citizenship test? What gave you that idea.

Source? You have no proof 100K humans are crossing each month.

​@@phillipmoore6249There's the proof you are a traitor from your own hand.

@@francismarion6400 what’s a traitor from your own hand ?

@phillipmoore6249 Look at NYC you troll.

Okay so with that argument… if we make illegal immigrant join the military they serve minimum 4 years you are okay with giving them citizenship?

He didn't serve the country. He was in the military.

Only the state of TN says he's not a citizen. They obviously don't know the law.

​@kentondickerson If you're born outside the US, even if your parents were both US citizens, if they were residing outside the US, they have to file paperwork to make their child a citizen.

The US Navy does not make US Citizenship requests. That man needs to obtain his US Citizenship Certificate

He volunteered to fight but didn't actually fight. If he had he wouldn't be having this problem.

When did he fight for us? All he did was join the military. I don't recall the military marching on the tyrants in DC.

Right. He didn't bother to acquire legal citizenship and it wasn't an issue with him until his driver's license was denied due to the new federal mandated "Real ID" laws.

Your both idiots. He was told it was part of the deal for enlisting. Nobody detailed out, and I don't remember the terms used, that he had to serve during danger. He believed the recruiter. If you don't believe people at least sometime, you end up wrapping YOURSELF in paperwork.

@@mikebritcom3171 He probably thought that the Military dept. would process his citizenship automatically. First of all, he must have overstayed his US tourist visa from NZ, didn't go back to NZ, became illegal, went to military in the hope of altering his immigration status. But that's not how it works, there is certain condition in which you can be considered for citizenship if there is active war the US is involved. Be joined the military when the war was over.

@@createinmeacleanheartohgod6871 Nothing is done automatically. He was aware he didn't have official citizenship. How can you not be? It only became an issue for him when his driver's license renewal was denied due to the new federally-mandated "Real ID" laws going into effect. Now he's playing stupid, which is why Bilirakis' office hasn't decided on whether to pursue it on his behalf or not. Just qualifying doesn't make it legal. You have to go through the process. He chose not to. I know a British lady that is going through the same thing. She was married to a now-deceased American (active-duty Air Force) and living in the US for over 50 years. At the time she arrived in order to obtain US citizenship she would have had to renounce her UK citizenship, which she did not want to do. Her choice. So she never bothered with it. Now she can't get her license renewed either. Oh well, she shouldn't be driving anyway.

@@mikebritcom3171 Make sense amigo.

How they got away with that? Didn't the contract they signed state they would get citizenship

@@jamsng yes they did. But the US government is notorious for not honoring there contracts. It happened with a lot of Mexican immigrants where they were promised citizenship after serving but over 80% of them never received what they were promised, and it never gained media attention because for some reason so many Americans hate the Mexican people

😢 😭 😿 😢 😭 😿

Only since 2003 when GWB signed the Expedited Path to Citizenship Bill for wartime veterans.

Oh please. Not true at all. Get a grip. He should be granted citizenship because he’s been here all his life. Serving in the military shouldn’t give one special privileges.

​​@@jrm371this is a policy in the military, military service guarantees citizenship they've been doing this for years longer than starship troopers has been a movie. More than 148,000 immigrants have served and earned citizenship through the military in the last 20 years. Over the last century, military service has provided a pathway to American citizenship for more than 760,000 immigrant service members. Check your privilege before you bad mouth those who wanted to leave countries that did not give them opportunities. We are the nation of immigrants.

@@Darth_Traitorous Unfortunately, military service does not guarantee citizenship. USCIS can and has denied citizenship depending on the individual circumstances.

@@srivkind12 they have allowed nearly 1 million people in the last hundred years citizenship through military service. I said that. It also says since 2016 we've been on the decline in terms of immigrants searching for citizenship through the military

@@Darth_Traitorous yes unfortunately that is no doubt the case. I think if you look at it closer the people being denied seem to be either Hispanic or from countries such as Haiti. I think if this man was not White Anglo Saxon that neither of these Congressmen or Senators would step in to intercede.

What is the state doing? Naturalization is a Federal matter.

When you make every immigrant an illegal you tend to not care who you demonize

That man in TN doesn't have his US Citizenship Certificate. End of story

Yea...should have listened to all the edgelords on the internet 30 years ago telling him to do this.....he trusted his command. His command trusts the government to do their part. The government failed him, and yes, he'll win his case because they made the most dumb reason why. Immigrants serving in the military expect this, hell, we want this. Who deserves citizenship more than being willing to give your time and possibly life to protect that nation you are serving?

He's technically not a citizen, and is, in legal fact, just as illegal as anyone else who overstays a visa. It is a crappy situation though.

He didn't fight. He signed up during a period of time where he likely thought he'd end up fighting, but he didn't fight. If he had fought, as per the VA in the video, it wouldn't have been a problem making him a citizen.

@@throckwoddleDoesn’t matter that he didn’t fight. He signed up thinking he was going to and served his term. He certainly qualifies more than the illegals crossing our borders now.

Why Canada? He's from New Zealand..

Hes talking about another situation with another veteran ​@twinsonic

Maybe he didn't want a free $9k debit card, or a free Iphone lol

You guys are delusional

They're not telling the whole story and hyping this up for clicks and views. He had an avenue to get his citizenship and failed to take it, instead he stayed here illegally. There are so many illegal immigrants ruining this country and he is just one of them. He's playing the ignorance of the law card for sympathy.

It's a Federal case like citizenship, it's not a local case darwin.

When did they serve our country? I thought they were over fighting in the middle East for fun. We surrendered back in 2002.

So true