Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the parents of a United States Marine during a visit to Camp Pendleton, California.
The parents, identified as Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, were residents of Oceanside, California, when they were detained by ICE agents. The couple was trying to visit their pregnant daughter, who was married to another Marine stationed at the base.
ICE Detains U.S. Marine's Parents
Their son, Steve Rios, said that he joined the military because of his parents, saying he wanted to make them proud. He said the least he could do for his parents was to serve the country and "put some time in."
The situation comes as President Donald Trump's administration is moving forward with his plans to deport millions of migrants who do not have legal status. It is part of his broader immigration strategy that has sparked widespread criticism.
There have already been several cases of U.S. veterans and active service members whose family members and loved ones were detained by immigration officers. The Rios family has expressed distress over the detention of the couple, emphasizing the emotional impact of the separation, according to Newsweek.
The couple's son said that when his parents tried to enter the base he was stationed at, ICE agents were there to stop them and took them into custody. His family insists that neither of the two had a criminal record and had pending green card applications.
Steve said that his parents came to the U.S. from Mexico more than three decades ago and spent years working tirelessly. They washed cars and cleaned houses from dawn to dusk, all to give their family a chance at a better life.
Deporting Illegal Immigrants
After the parents were detained, they were later released wearing ankle tags on Oct. 2, but were once again detained afterward. Steve was able to talk to his father on the phone, who said that he and his wife were being held downtown but were expected to be moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County, Independent reported.
A spokesperson for ICE answered the question of why the couple was detained, saying that it was part of the agency's routine operations. They said that ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have "violated our nation's immigration laws."
They added that all aliens who are in violation of U.S. immigration law are subject to arrest, detention, and, if found removable by final order, removed from the country, as per NBC San Diego.
Originally published on parentherald.com
