Immigration and veteran advocates are concerned that military families have a new worry under the Trump administration: whether they will be detained and deported while family members are enlisted.
The U.S. has long given extra consideration in immigration enforcement for noncitizens related to service members and veterans. But as stories about Immigration and Customs Enforcement detaining military family members garner more public attention, some members of Congress and outside groups are worried that the administration’s crackdown will take a toll on current military members’ ability to do their job and on the military’s ability to recruit.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, a California Democrat and a Marine Corps veteran with two military bases in his district, said the administration’s approach “absolutely” threatens the U.S. armed forces’ morale and recruitment efforts.