Published Jun 18, 2026, 1:21 PM EDT
The amendment is one of many being deliberated in the House of Representatives.
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Published Jun 18, 2026, 1:21 PM EDT
A new amendment issued as part of ongoing U.S. House deliberations regarding the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide legal services to noncitizen veterans facing deportation, costing upwards of $20 million. The "Honor Their Service Act," issued by Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), establishes a VA grant program to fund immigration legal services for noncitizen veterans who are in removal proceedings, at risk of removal, or have already been deported. If successfully included and passed in the final version of the sweeping trillion-dollar defense legislation, it would authorize $20 million over a four-year span. “For generations, noncitizens have answered the call to serve in the United States Armed Forces, risking their lives in defense of our country,” Torres said in a statement shared with Military.com. “No veteran who wore the uniform of this nation should be left to navigate our broken immigration system alone or face deportation without access to legal representation."
