Immigration Detention Impacts U.S. Marine's Family

Thu Oct 16 2025 06:34:26 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A U.S. Marine's parents face detention and deportation after visiting Camp Pendleton, highlighting the challenges military families face amidst strict immigration enforcement.

The family of Steve Rios, a Marine stationed in California, is embroiled in an immigration crisis after his parents were detained by federal immigration agents while visiting their daughter at a military base. Esteban Rios was later deported, raising concerns over how government policies affect military families. This incident follows a trend where the government’s immigration enforcement efforts have increasingly affected the relatives of military personnel and veterans.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The complexities of immigration policies are painfully evident for the family of a U.S. Marine, Steve Rios, whose parents were detained by federal officials during a visit to Camp Pendleton in California.

Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico three decades ago, were facing deportation after they were taken into custody while picking up their daughter, Ashley Rios, and her husband, also a Marine. Despite having pending green card applications, both were stopped by immigration agents.

Initially, the couple was released with ankle monitors, but during a subsequent check-in with federal immigration authorities, they were detained again. Steve shared that his father, wearing a shirt proclaiming 'Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine,' was deported last Friday. 'He said, ‘Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine,’' Steve recalled.

This incident reflects a wider issue where strict immigration enforcement affects military families. Although military recruiters once promoted enlistment as a route to stability for those without legal status, assurances have diminished amid increasingly rigorous enforcement.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that legal violations carry consequences, underscoring a harsh reality for many families. This follows a trend documented over recent years, wherein military families have faced immigration-related challenges, including a Louisiana Marine veteran whose wife was detained while nursing their infant. Similarly, a California-born Army veteran faced arrest during a raid related to his work.