This week Federal Judge Gary Feess singled out 23 members of the United States Armed Forces during a citizenship swearing-in ceremony in Los Angeles.

Foreign-born recruits join the military for many reasons, including education benefits, job security and love of their adopted country. And now, enlisting puts them on the fast track to citizenship.

Since President Bush signed a temporary executive order in July making all soldiers with green cards immediately eligible for citizenship, eliminating a three-year waiting period, nearly 6,000 soldiers have become U.S. citizens. The president’s executive order affects any member of the military serving after September 11, 2001. It essentially allows them to apply for citizenship immediately and is described as a gesture to thank the soldiers for their service in defending the country.

Similar decrees during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the 1991 Persian Gulf War helped hundreds of thousands of immigrants become U.S. citizens. The White House says the new policy is not aimed at boosting recruitment but is intended to reward those who volunteer in the war against terrorism.

As the war in Iraq unfolds, the prominence of immigrants serving in the armed forces could help to temper the debate over immigration in the wake of the 9-11 terror attacks, which has lead the Bush administration and Congress to tighten immigration policy and increase scrutiny at the nation's borders and ports.

According to various sources, there are between 30,000 and 50,000 foreign nationals serving on active duty in the U.S. military, which constitutes about 3 percent of 1.4 million soldiers. The executive order made around 15,000 foreign nationals in the military immediately eligible.

To handle the number of requests being filed by military personnel, which have quadrupled from about 300 a month to more than 1,300 a month, the government created a team to quickly process the military applications.

Most of the new citizens come from Mexico, followed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea and Iran. Critics say the government is playing off the desire for citizenship to exploit these mostly poor immigrants form Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean, for this war effort.

In recent weeks, the U.S. Embassy and its nine consular offices in Mexico have fielded hundreds of requests from Mexicans offering to fight for the United States in exchange for American citizenship. Rumors were rampant on Mexico’s streets that Mexicans could win U.S. citizenship if they serve in the U.S. military. The embassy placed a notice on its web site explaining that only U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents are eligible to join the military. Many are reported to have walked away disappointed. The Mexican media has besieged Jim Dickmeyer, an embassy spokesman, to clear up the confusion over the U.S. enlistment policy.

The U.S. awarded posthumous citizenship to two Marines from California who were killed while serving in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Jose A. Gutierrez and Cpl. Jose A. Garibay died in the first three days of the war.

Some California legislators have drafted a bill to urge Congress to grant citizenship to all legal immigrants who are discharged honorably from the armed services.

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