When U.S. Marine Steve Rios went to pick up his pregnant sister and her husband, a fellow Marine, from Camp Pendleton, he had no idea it would be the last time he'd see his father in the United States.

Esteban Rios, wearing a hat and shirt that proudly read “Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine,” was detained by immigration agents and later deported. His wife, Luisa, was taken into custody too. Both had pending green card applications. Neither posed a threat to anyone.

This is what serving your country can look like in today’s immigration system: not stability, but separation.

It’s not an isolated case. Across the country, immediate family members of active-duty military personnel and veterans are being targeted and deported, despite promises that service could open a path to safety for their families. These actions betray our values and break the very families who sacrifice most for this country.

No Marine, soldier, sailor, or airman should have to worry that bringing their loved ones onto a military base might result in them being handcuffed and ripped away.

No parent should be deported while wearing a shirt celebrating their child’s service.

And no federal agency should be allowed to do this without oversight.

We call on:

• The Department of Homeland Security to immediately halt deportations of immediate family members of military personnel and veterans, especially those with pending legal status.
• Congress to investigate these deportations and hold DHS accountable for targeting military families.

If you serve in uniform, your family should be safe. Period. 

Sign this petition if you believe our government must protect, not punish, military families.

 
 Photo:(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)