Active Request

FOIA Requests

Army Discharge FOIA

FOIA Request Overview

Muslim Advocates filed this Freedom of Information Act request regarding the U.S. Army’s discharge of immigrant recruits who were enlisted under the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (“MAVNI”) program. The MAVNI program, created in 2008, is a special U.S. military recruiting program that allows certain immigrants with “critical skills”—such as physicians and individuals with particular linguistic and/or cultural expertise—to “join the U.S. military and apply immediately for U.S. citizenship…without first obtaining lawful permanent residence.” The Trump administration first suspended the program in September 2017, upending the lives of thousands of recruits and potentially exposing many to deportation,

The administration’s actions appear to be part of a broader pattern of attacking immigrants in every available scenario. Pursuing a policy that blindsides, betrays, and discharges those willing to pay the ultimate price for our country illustrates the extreme lengths this administration will take to harass and marginalize immigrants. The American people deserve the facts about what exactly is going on here – not just the administration’s spin.

Matter Details

Date filed: July 10, 2018
Status: Active.