OCALA, Fla. — One week since we brought you Paul Canton's citizenship fight, viewers have reached out to us with cynicism and outrage over what the former U.S. Marine is dealing with.
Canton is also hearing from viewers, including a California attorney and podcaster, a veterans advocate even the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, a Republican from Pinellas County.
All of them watched our story on Canton's years-long citizenship fight and want to help.
When we reached Canton via Zoom this week, the Ocala veteran was humbled and hopeful by all the attention his story is generating.
"I think it's pointed out what's happening to foreign-born vets that hasn't been publicly stated before because it's all gone under the radar and no one's heard anything about it," he said. "There's so many of us and they've been deported without a voice, so thank you for giving me a voice."
Canton, who was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, was recruited into the U.S. Marines in 1991 during the Gulf War.
At the time, Canton said a recruiter told him after he discharged honorably, he would be granted U.S. citizenship.
After he left the military, Canton assumed he was a legal U.S. citizen and lived in America as an American. He got married, had kids and even voted in U.S. elections until just a few years ago when he went to renew his driver's license at his local DMV and was told he wasn't a legal U.S. citizen.
Despite multiple attempts to become legal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied him, stating while he enlisted during a period of hostility, he wasn't on active duty until after that period of hostility ended. As a result, he was ineligible for expedited naturalization as a foreign veteran.
Canton and his attorney filed a lawsuit against the government in federal court last year but are still waiting for his first hearing.
A spokesperson for Bilirakis stated in an email they are looking into advocating on Canton's behalf.
