Democrats in Congress have launched an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to deport troops and their families following revelations that immigration authorities have detained more than 50 spouses and parents of active-duty military personnel.
In a letter sent Sunday evening to the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, lawmakers pledged to examine whether the Pentagon and DHS are coordinating to deport service members and their immediate families.
"These efforts imperil military readiness, weaken service members’ morale, and betray America’s promises to the people who put their lives on the line for our nation," reads the letter, which was signed by more than 60 members of Congress.
The Pentagon declined to comment, stating it would "reply directly to the authors of the letter."
DHS stated that while it values the contributions of service personnel, "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 VA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In their communication, congressional Democrats submitted an extensive series of questions to the three agencies, asserting that apparent joint efforts between DHS and the military to deport families raise serious "ethical and legal concerns."
‘Just plain cruel’
"Donald Trump is breaking our country’s promises to service members by tearing apart dozens of military families who were promised immigration protections," said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "That’s just plain cruel, and it’s hurting our military readiness and morale."
Warren is heading the inquiry alongside Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and several House Democrats.
An Associated Press investigation found that President Donald Trump's administration has rolled back protective measures for military households, abandoning a longstanding bipartisan consensus to advance its broader deportation efforts. Consequently, some service members have had to request leave or delay deployments to care for their children following the detention of their spouses.
Lawmakers questioned why military recruiters continue to promote immigration shields to prospective enlistees.
Referencing the AP reporting, lawmakers urged the Trump administration to reinstate policies that previously protected service members' families from deportation and provided pathways to adjust their legal status.
"This report is appalling and shows the unbelievable cruelty at the center of the Trump immigration agenda," said Blumenthal, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. "We will be demanding answers and accountability."
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, the Republican chairs of the armed services and veterans’ affairs committees, did not respond to requests for comment.
The move comes after Trump established the Military Spouse Commission last week, chaired by Jennifer Rauchet, wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to propose policies supporting military families.
"Military spouses are intrinsically linked to the good order, readiness, and retention of our military," Trump stated in an Aug. 6 entry in the Federal Register. "Their support and contributions to our Armed Forces are crucial to mission success."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
In a December letter to Democratic lawmakers, the Defense Department stated it had not introduced recent policy changes affecting noncitizen family members, nor had it evaluated how deportations affect troop readiness and morale.
Danitza James, president of the support group Repatriate Our Patriots, warned that service members are being let down.
"Our military service members are the ones that sign on the dotted line to go and defend our country and maybe not come back," James said. "They trust our government to take care of their families, and they’re not doing that."
