More Than 50 Military Spouses, Parents Detained in Immigration Enforcement

An Associated Press investigation has found that more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. service members have been detained by immigration authorities since President Donald Trump returned to office. At least six have been deported, and at least eight immediate family members of serving personnel remain in federal immigration custody.

The detentions, which the government does not track, represent a significant shift from policies that for decades protected military families from deportation under bipartisan consensus. According to the AP, relatives are now routinely held for months while attempting to regularise their status through programmes available to service members' close kin.

The reversal has alarmed military experts, who say it could undermine preparedness at a time when the armed forces are engaged in multiple operations abroad. Service members have reported losing essential child care and emotional support, with some deployments delayed and others compelled to take leave.

The AP's findings also contrast with the military's own recruitment drives, which advertise immigration benefits for the families of those who enlist. This contradiction has deepened the sense of distress among affected service personnel.

Army Sergeant Hedar Leonel Turcios Juarez, stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, said his wife was detained outside a Walmart in front of their six-year-old daughter in July. "How can I even focus on my military career because I have to worry about how my wife is doing?" he asked.

A handful of detentions have prompted public backlash and led to intervention by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to secure releases. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, maintains that it does not compile data on such cases. The AP identified 51 cases by analysing thousands of federal court records compiled by Habeas Dockets, a project of the Immigration Justice Transparency Initiative, and by verifying information with families and lawyers. The actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

Asked to comment on the cases, DHS did not provide specifics on most, but noted that at least seven individuals had previously been removed from the U.S., eight had outstanding removal orders, and two had drunk driving or drug-related convictions. In a statement, the agency said, "DHS and ICE value the contributions of all those who have served in the U.S. military. U.S. military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws."

The Pentagon declined to comment on the AP's findings.

Among those affected is Air Force Technical Sergeant Wendy Gbeve, 30, whose father, Luis Alberto Ramirez Zavala, was detained at a routine interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Missouri. He was held in a county jail, then transferred to a Texas detention facility, and finally deported to Mexico after about two weeks. Gbeve said she still does not know why her father, a ranch hand who spent most of his life in the U.S., was removed so quickly.

Her mother, a legal permanent resident of 30 years, is considering returning to Mexico to rejoin her husband. For Gbeve, whose husband is also in the Air Force, that would leave no one to care for their children, aged two and four, should both parents be deployed.

"It's the most frustrating, helpless feeling," Gbeve said.

Legal observers say the detentions reflect a stricter enforcement of immigration law under the current administration, which has made reducing illegal immigration a central priority. While the government argues that military service does not confer automatic citizenship, critics contend that the detentions ignore the spirit of existing protections for military families and could deter future enlistment.

The long-term effect on military morale and recruitment remains uncertain, but the disruption to affected families is already evident. The AP investigation provides the first accounting of such detentions, highlighting a gap in official data and prompting calls for greater transparency and review of immigration policies as they apply to military households.