The United States tells immigrants and their children that military service is honorable and valuable. But under Trump, a service member who asks the government for Military Parole in Place for an undocumented spouse, parent or child now has reason to wonder whether the application for protection is also identifying someone ICE can deport.
That fear is no longer theoretical. Deisy Rivera Ortega, wife of an active-duty Army sergeant who has served more than 25 years, was detained by ICE while attending what Senator Tammy Duckworth described as her Military Parole in Place interview. She was eventually released after Duckworth intervened. (Tammy Duckworth) Duckworth statement on Rivera Ortega
That turns the original purpose of the program on its head. Congress has explicitly recognized Parole in Place as a way to promote military family unity and reduce immigration worries that can interfere with a service member’s ability to serve. (GovInfo)
So what is the message today? We want you in the United States military, but if you ask us to protect your undocumented relative, thank you for telling us exactly where to find them.
At some point, military families deserve an answer: Is Military Parole in Place still a protection, or is it becoming a deportation trap?
