An Associated Press investigation found that President Donald Trump’s administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. military service members as it rolls back immigration protections for their families to pursue its mass deportation agenda.The immediate family members of U.S. troops have generally not been targets of immigration enforcement. But the AP found they’re now routinely being detained for months as they try to adjust their legal status through policies available to service members’ close relatives, even as the military recruits by advertising these benefits. Experts warn that detaining troops’ family members undermines military preparedness even as the U.S. is at war in Iran. Military members whose spouses and parents have been placed in detention lose emotional support networks and caretakers for their children, delaying deployments and forcing some to take leave.Here are the main takeaways from the AP’s reporting:
More than 50 parents and spouses of service members have been detainedThe AP found that at least 51 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained by immigration officers since Trump took office for a second term, and at least six have been deported. At least eight immediate family members of U.S. service members remain in federal immigration custody.
