A very interesting headline in The Hill this morning. Details re the implementation at the link.
I came of age during the 1960s, when the Vietnam War was at its peak, and I can assure younger readers that a wartime draft was a very big deal back then. I have read in unreliable sources (Facebook) that with the onset of the Gulf War, soldiers have been implementing misdemeanors (smoking weed on base etc) in order to be dismissed from active duty. And it's possible that the onset of active conflict and some combat-related deaths has diminished the applications for military service.
But then I saw this in the article at the link:
"In addition, immigrants who don’t register may lose their U.S. citizenship."
Is this automatic registration being implemented as a strategic way to justify the mandatory deportation of legal immigrants?
I think your headline is a bit misleading. The US is not reinstituting the draft (at least at this time). It is simply making automatic the requirement for all 18-year-old boys to REGISTER.
ReplyDeleteIt might not be a meaningful adjustment to any but us older guys who remember the draft.
You are quite correct that the title I initially used was misleading. I've revised it accordingly.
Delete"Is this automatic registration being implemented as a strategic way to justify the mandatory deportation of legal immigrants?"
ReplyDeleteYes, it's easy to ignore it but virtually every edict coming out from the Administration is tinged in racist, white nationalist ideology.
A few months back when they released new "grooming" standards for hygiene that included less exemptions for having a beard, the direct target was black men in the military with pseudofolliculitis barbae waivers since they're disproportionately afflicted by the condition (PFB effects anywhere from 45%-80% of black men depending on which study is to be believed) and is exacerbated by shaving.
Comparatively, only 3%-20% of white men are affected.
This is not an "edict coming out from the administration tinged in racist, white nationalist ideology." It is duly passed legislation, the way things are supposed to be done, voted on and passed by both houses of Congress by a fairly wide margin.
ReplyDeleteThis was voted on in the House of Representatives and passed, 312-112, on 12/10/2025. It passed in the Senate, 77-20, on 12/17/2025. Became law (Public Law No: 119-60) on 12/18/2025. Is to go into effect 1 year from the date it was signed by the President, 12/18/2026.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1071/text
Seems fair to me.
ReplyDeleteI imagine any legal immigrant in the USA will be recorded, obviously, otherwise they would be an illegal immigrant
And hence when they turn 18 they will be drafted the same as any other American male.
I feel someone is misreading the word 'Automatic' in automatic registration.
There may be subtle weirdness in the American laws about this of which I am unaware
For instance, in the country where I live, citizenship entitles one to free health care, unemployment payments, should one become unemployed
And also to be conscripted should we also have a draft.
"And hence when they turn 18 they will be drafted the same as any other American male"
DeleteNo American male has been drafted in 53 years.
I have four immigrants in my family. Three are citizens, two women and my son-in-law is in the Army Reserve. However, the newest family member just got his green card. Is there an upper age limit for registering? It's been quite a while since he turned 18.
ReplyDeleteI've read only the article - not the law. My understanding is that they will now begin automatically registering boys on their 18th birthday. I don't see an indication that they will also automatically register everyone over age 18. But I don't know if that is correct.
DeleteAll male U.S. citizens and male immigrants living in the U.S. between 18 and 25
DeleteIf a draft were authorized by Congress and the President, a lottery would be held. The first to be called would be those whose 20th birthday falls in the year of the lottery, followed by other age groups, with 18-year-olds and 25-year-olds called last
DeleteIt should be noted that registering for the draft (for males 18 to 26) has been mandatory since July of 1980.
DeleteI looked it up. The Selective Service website says the upper age is 25 for mandatory registration for immigrants. My son-in-law is 33, although to me he looks like a kid.
DeleteWhat's the effective difference between automatic registration (new law) and mandatory registration (current law), if both laws are actually enforced? It seems like automatic registration is just more streamlined. Whatever list is used for automatic registration must be the same list that could be used for enforcing mandatory registration.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know men have always been required to register for the draft at age 18 thus the use of "automatic" means that they no longer have to wander down to the selective service office to register. My question is then ... if we can automatically register young men for the selective service, why can't we automatically register everyone to vote?
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I applied for a federal job two years ago and they required proof that I had registered with selective service when I was 18. The SS web page made it easy to check which honestly blew my mind, but that was 40 years ago.
ReplyDelete(If I'd gotten that job I would have been furloughed stupidly six months later)