Study Finds Immigrants More Eager to Serve in U.S. Military.
A recent multinational study reveals that immigrants in the United States are more willing to “fight for the country” than those born in the U.S. This finding is significant, especially as military recruitment faces challenges amid election season filled with heated rhetoric and misinformation.
According to the study published in the September issue of Armed Forces & Society, 60 percent of American respondents expressed a readiness to fight for their country. Notably, immigrants were nearly 30 percent more likely to show this willingness compared to native-born citizens.
Researchers conducted several surveys over multiple years, including 2024, analyzing responses from Americans and Canadians on various topics. These topics included self-identity, religious beliefs, national pride, and more. The study involved researchers Christopher Simon from the University of Utah, Nicholas P. Lovrich from Washington State University, Kenneth G. Verboncoeur from the U.S. Army, and Michael C. Moltz from Shippensburg University.
The authors note that changing demographics may lead many Western militaries to recruit more immigrants. They state, “Recruitment shortfalls plaguing prominent Western militaries that use the all-volunteer force model raise concerns about maintaining force size and readiness. With aging populations, many developed countries will increasingly depend on immigrant youth to address recruitment challenges.”
As of now, most U.S. military branches report that they are meeting or exceeding their recruitment goals for 2024, although they fell short of their targets in 2023.
The study also indicates that immigrants are more engaged in civic activities and public service than the native populations of their host countries. This finding contradicts claims made by GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has often criticized immigrants during his campaign.
The authors suggest that immigrants’ willingness to “fight” stems more from their commitment to their new society rather than a strong attachment to military ideals. They write, “The evidence suggests that immigrant willingness to fight is mainly linked to building civic ties in the host nation, rather than being a result of militarism or nationalism.”
Historically, military service has allowed documented immigrants to expedite their path to citizenship. However, much of the current national immigration debate centers on undocumented immigrants, who typically cannot join the military. Their wait for legal status averages about two years and has increased during the Trump administration.
On the campaign trail, Trump has promised to deport even legal immigrants, threatening to use the National Guard for this purpose. Such policies are unlikely to gain support among immigrants who are interested in military service.
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