The National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth (NNOMY)

Amid an ICE crackdown in her area, an Oregon National Guard recruiter offers U.S. citizens a way to save their immigrant parents.

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Jan. 12, 2026 / Greg Jaffe / New York Times - Greg Jaffe spent eight days in The Dalles, Ore., with a recruiter from the Oregon National Guard. She believed that the key to being a good recruiter was not just selling the military and its benefits, but herself. Sgt. First Class Rosa Cortez wanted potential recruits to notice the pictures of her smiling children, her college diploma and the awards she had earned in the course of her nearly 20 years with the Oregon National Guard.

Her goal was to “radiate positivity,” she said. “People will see it and want to align with you.”

Lately though, she, along with hundreds of other recruiters around the country, had been offering something else: protection from the government she served.

President Trump’s second term has been defined by an extensive crackdown on undocumented immigrants that has set off waves of fear in places with large Hispanic populations. In many of these areas, a little-known government program called Parole in Place has become a refuge of last resort and a powerful recruiting tool.

Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to enlist in the military. The Parole in Place program, launched in 2013, provides the undocumented parents and spouses of service members protection from deportation, and an expedited pathway to permanent residency.

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January 09, 2026 / NNOMY staff / National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth - Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the conservative youth‑mobilization organization founded by Charlie Kirk, has dramatically expanded its presence in American high schools. While this development is often framed as a political or cultural phenomenon, its implications reach far beyond partisan organizing. TPUSA’s school‑based activities intersect with a broader national trend toward youth militarization, particularly under the Trump 2.0 administration, which has embraced policies that expand JROTC, increase recruiter access, and embed military programs more deeply into public education. This report examines how TPUSA’s presence in high schools contributes to a cultural, institutional, and political environment that increases the likelihood of military enlistment among young people. Drawing on academic research, independent media, and counter‑recruitment scholarship, it argues that TPUSA’s expansion is not merely a political project but a structural shift that places high‑school students at heightened risk of recruitment.