HR 9375: Honor Their Service Act

HR 9375 in plain English: This bill would establish or expand a program related to veterans' services, authorizing $20,000,000 in funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit and public organizations that provide immigration legal services to noncitizen veterans who are in, or at risk of, removal proceedings or who have already been deported.

Key points

• Authorizes $20,000,000 for the program covering fiscal years 2027 through 2030.
• Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for further consideration.

Arguments supporters make

• People who served in the U.S. military earned benefits and legal support regardless of citizenship status, and leaving them without legal help when facing deportation is a failure to honor that service.
• Many noncitizen veterans lack the resources to navigate complex immigration law on their own, and legal assistance could prevent unjust deportations of people who served their country.
• The bill requires cost-effectiveness reporting and limits grants to vetted nonprofits and public entities, building in accountability for how funds are used.

Arguments opponents make

• Federal veterans' resources are limited, and directing VA funds toward immigration legal services for noncitizens may divert attention and money from citizen veterans who also face unmet needs.
• Immigration enforcement and legal proceedings are the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security and the courts, not the VA, so this bill may blur agency roles in ways that create confusion or legal conflict.
• Providing government-funded legal defense specifically for noncitizens in removal proceedings could be seen as the federal government working against its own immigration enforcement system.

Tradeoffs

Expanding VA support to noncitizen veterans addresses a gap in services for those who served but are not yet citizens, while potentially stretching VA resources and raising questions about whether immigration legal aid falls within the VA's core mission.

Current status in Congress: In committee.