The goal of this research is to analyze the discourse around the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) Program. This initiative aims to address critical shortages within the armed services regarding qualified personnel possessing either a medical or a strategic language background. Since the program’s inception, over 10,400 individuals have sworn to defend the United States Constitution against all threats, foreign and domestic (Fact Sheet: MAVNI). However, the program is temporarily suspended and no longer accepting applicants due to vetting complications and inadequate screening protocols that are claimed to have raised serious security concerns (Philipps, 2018). This project will explore the role of media representations of MAVNI in shaping the public’s knowledge of the program, and of the service members in it. I posit that MAVNI’s existence, and its subsequent suspension, symbolizes the ongoing debate in the U.S. over immigration, security, and national identity. It highlights tensions between openness to immigrants and concerns over security risks, and it reflects broader societal discussions about who belongs and what it means to be an American. Through content analysis of news stories, congressional documents, and reports, this research will shed light on how the MAVNI program framed its role in the context of military recruitment goals and justified making the armed forces available to immigrants.