I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 717 

To prohibit the removal from the United States of certain veterans, to 

expedite their naturalization, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2023 

Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. 

CORREA, Mr. CUELLAR, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. GARCIA of 

Texas, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 

LEVIN, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. BLUMENAUER) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To prohibit the removal from the United States of certain 

veterans, to expedite their naturalization, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Repatriate Our Patri5 ots Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘special veteran’’ means an in3 dividual who is an alien and is described in section 101(2) 

4 of title 38, United States Code, except the term— 

5 (1) only includes individuals who were dis6 charged or released from the Armed Forces under 

7 honorable conditions; 

8 (2) does not include individuals who have been 

9 convicted of voluntary manslaughter, murder, rape, 

10 sexual abuse of a minor, or any offense under chap11 ter 113B of title 18, United States Code (relating to 

12 terrorism); and 

13 (3) does not include individuals who have been 

14 determined to be a child abuser or a pedophile. 

15 SEC. 3. PROTECTING SPECIAL VETERANS FROM REMOVAL. 

16 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including 

17 section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

18 U.S.C. 1227), a special veteran shall not be removed from 

19 the United States. 

20 SEC. 4. NATURALIZATION FOR SPECIAL VETERANS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi22 sion of law, a special veteran shall be naturalized as a cit23 izen of the United States upon the filing of the appro24 priate application, paying the appropriate fees, and, except 

25 as provided in subsection (b), taking and subscribing be26 fore an officer of the Department of Homeland Security 


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1 within the United States to the oath of allegiance required 

2 by section 337 of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

3 (8 U.S.C. 1448). The Secretary of Homeland Security 

4 shall take steps to ensure that the period in which an ap5 plication for naturalization under this section is pending 

6 does not exceed 90 days. The Secretary shall furnish each 

7 special veteran naturalized under this section with a cer8 tificate of citizenship. 

9 (b) SPECIAL VETERANS ABROAD.—In the case of a 

10 special veteran residing abroad, the application for natu11 ralization may be filed from abroad, and the oath of alle12 giance described in subsection (a) may be subscribed to 

13 abroad at United States embassies and consulates. 

14 (c) WAIVER.—Consistent with section 337(a) of the 

15 Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1448(a)), the 

16 Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the taking of 

17 the oath of allegiance described in subsection (a) by a spe18 cial veteran if, in the opinion of the Secretary, the special 

19 veteran is unable to understand, or to communicate an 

20 understanding of, its meaning because of a physical or de21 velopmental disability or mental impairment. 

22 SEC. 5. TREATMENT OF SPECIAL VETERANS IN REMOVAL 

23 PROCEEDINGS OR ORDERED REMOVED. 

24 In the case of a special veteran in removal pro25 ceedings on the date of the enactment of this Act, the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:51 Feb 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H717.IH H717

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1 retary of Homeland Security shall cancel the removal of 

2 the special veteran. In the case of a special veteran who 

3 was ordered removed before the date of the enactment of 

4 this Act, the Attorney General shall rescind any out5 standing order of removal, and any finding that the special 

6 veteran is subject to removal or is inadmissible. In the case 

7 of a special veteran physically present in the United States 

8 whose status as an alien lawfully admitted for permanent 

9 residence was rescinded before the date of the enactment 

10 of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall allow 

11 the veteran to adjust status to that of an alien lawfully 

12 admitted for permanent residence without regard to any 

13 numerical limitation in the Immigration and Nationality 

14 Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 

15 SEC. 6. RETURN OF SPECIAL VETERANS REMOVED FROM 

16 THE UNITED STATES. 

17 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact18 ment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program 

19 and application procedure to permit special veterans re20 moved from the United States before the date of the en21 actment of this Act to enter the United States as an alien 

22 lawfully admitted for permanent residence without regard 

23 to any numerical limitation in the Immigration and Na24 tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 


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1 SEC. 7. IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIAL VETERANS. 

2 (a) IDENTIFICATION.—The Secretary of Homeland 

3 Security shall identify immigration cases involving special 

4 veterans by— 

5 (1) inquiring of every alien processed prior to 

6 initiating removal proceedings whether the alien is a 

7 special veteran; and 

8 (2) keeping records of special veterans who 

9 have been detained under the immigration laws, had 

10 removal proceedings against them initiated before 

11 the date of the enactment of this Act, or been re12 moved before such date. 

13 (b) RECORD ANNOTATION.—When the Secretary has 

14 identified a case under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

15 annotate all immigration and naturalization records of the 

16 Department of Homeland Security relating to the special 

17 veteran involved so as to reflect that identification and af18 ford an opportunity to track the outcomes for the veteran. 

19 Such annotation shall include— 

20 (1) the veteran’s branch of military service; 

21 (2) whether or not the veteran served during a 

22 period of military hostilities described in section 329 

23 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

24 1440); and 


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1 (3) the veteran’s immigration status at the time 

2 of enlistment. 

Æ 


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