SAN DIEGO (AP) — In a troubling incident that underscores the intersection of military service and immigration policy, the parents of a U.S. Marine were detained by federal immigration officials after visiting relatives at a California military base. Steve Rios, a Marine based in Oceanside, California, shared that his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, were stopped by immigration officers while picking up his pregnant sister and her husband at Camp Pendleton.

The couple, originally from Mexico and with pending green card applications, were initially released with ankle monitors but were taken into custody during a routine check-in. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Esteban Rios, donning a shirt that read 'Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine,' was deported last Friday.

Steve recalled his father's optimistic remark, 'Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine,' before the detention. Historically, Marine Corps recruiters have posited enlistment as a pathway to stability for families lacking legal immigration status. However, as federal immigration enforcement tightens, such assurances appear increasingly unreliable.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security underlined that individuals violating the law would face repercussions, echoing the government's commitment to strict immigration policies. Concerns have been raised regarding the implications for military families, especially as incidents involving relatives of service members continue to emerge, particularly in light of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration agenda that has ensnared both veterans and their loved ones.

This episode marks yet another instance where military families find themselves caught in the crosshairs of immigration enforcement, raising questions about the promises made to them and the realities they face.