Trump administration detains dozens of military family members as immigration crackdown expands

The Trump administration has detained more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty military personnel since the start of his second term, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. The report said at least six have been deported, while at least eight immediate family members remain in federal immigration custody.

The AP said this is the first known accounting of such cases, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not maintain official data on detentions involving military families. The news agency identified the cases through federal court records, media reports and interviews with family members and lawyers. It said the actual number is likely to be higher.

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Longstanding protections rolled back

For decades, parents and spouses of US service members were generally protected from deportation under policies supported by both major political parties. However, the AP found that many are now being detained while trying to obtain legal status through immigration programmes available to military families. The report said the change has disrupted military households, delayed deployments and left some service members without childcare or family support.

"How can I even focus on my military career because I have to worry about how my wife is doing?" Army Sgt. Hedar Leonel Turcios Juarez said after his wife was detained outside a Walmart in front of their six-year-old daughter in July.

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DHS defends enforcement policy

The DHS said military service does not automatically provide legal immigration status.

"DHS and ICE value the contributions of all those who have served in the U.S. military," the department said. "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.

Families describe impact on military life

The investigation highlighted several cases involving military families. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Wendy Gbeve said her father was detained during an immigration interview in Missouri and deported to Mexico about two weeks later. She said the deportation has left her family without support for her children if both she and her husband, who also serves in the Air Force, are deployed.

Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo said he had to take administrative leave to care for his five-year-old stepson after immigration authorities detained his wife during a scheduled appointment to adjust her immigration status. Court records reviewed by the AP also showed that another active-duty soldier delayed an overseas deployment after her husband was detained, leaving no one to care for their young son.

Experts say policy marks a major shift

According to the report, the administration introduced a policy in April 2025 stating that military service does not exempt people from immigration enforcement. Immigration lawyers and former officials told the AP that previous administrations, including Trump's first term, rarely detained immediate family members of active-duty troops unless they were involved in serious crimes.

Former ICE deputy chief counsel Dan Gividen said, "We would not place them into removal proceedings, period. That's insane. The fact that they're doing it now is just outrageous."

Retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and immigration attorney Margaret Stock said previous policies were intended to ensure service members could focus on their military duties.

"It's the same thing that happens if you don't provide healthcare to the troops, or you don't provide housing to the troops," she said. "They're not concentrating on their job anymore."

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Immigration benefits remain in place

The AP also reported that military recruiters continue to promote immigration benefits for family members, including the military parole-in-place programme, which allows eligible spouses, parents and children of service members to seek legal status while remaining in the US. However, processing times have increased to an average of 12 months under the current administration, making applicants more vulnerable to detention during the process.

Several military families told the AP they or their relatives were detained while attending immigration appointments or while seeking benefits linked to military service. In one case, Marine Cpl. Jose Manuel Vilchis-Valle's mother was deported within a week of being detained during an immigration appointment.

Recruiters continue highlighting immigration benefits

The report also said the Marine Corps stopped promoting enlistment as a way to protect immigrant family members in June 2025 after AP inquiries, although Army and National Guard recruiters continue to mention immigration-related benefits available under existing policies.

The AP said the DHS informed lawmakers that from January 20, 2025, through January 26, 2026, immigration authorities detained 125 military veterans, placed 34 in removal proceedings and arrested more than 150 immediate family members of former service members.