The House of Representatives approved a bill that could create a pathway to citizenship to non-citizens who served in the U.S. military.
House lawmakers approved the measure by a 220-208 vote margin that fell mostly along party lines.
If passed, the Veteran Service Recognition Act would allow non-citizen veterans a faster path to citizenship. It would also allow those who have been deported the chance to return to the U.S.
A law passed in the '90s allows legal U.S. residents to be deported if they’re charged with certain crimes — including some non-violent ones.
Tens of thousands of veterans are thought to have been affected. A Biden administration program rolled out this year allows them to apply to come back, but advocates say the process has been too slow.
The measure must pass in the Senate before the end of the year to become law.
