A U.S. Marine shared that his parents were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Camp Pendleton, California, and that his father was deported last month.
Steve Rios mentioned that his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez, had gone to pick up his pregnant sister Ashley and her husband at the base on September 28. They had been doing this regularly for several months as Ashley awaited the birth of their first child.
This time, however, things took a different turn. Rios explained that they were stopped at the gate and detained by ICE agents.
Hours after their initial detention, the parents were released with ankle monitors and were picked up by their son, who was told to check in later that week.
When Rios drove them to their appointment days later, they ended up waiting for several hours before his parents were taken into custody again.
“I just kept looking at my parents, not knowing if it would be the last time I’d see them,” the young Marine said.
During his father’s deportation, Rios noted that his dad was wearing a red shirt and a white hat that read “Proud Father of a United States Marine.” Rios recalled his father’s nonchalant response, saying, “Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so it’s okay.”
The day following his parents’ second detention, Rios spoke to his dad briefly and learned that they were being held in a federal building that also contains the immigration court.
They were later transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center, according to reports. While Rios’s father was deported, it’s unclear if his mother faced the same outcome.
Rios joined the Marines right after high school to make his parents proud. After four years of active duty, he is now in the Reserves and mentioned that his parents immigrated from Mexico 30 years ago.
He portrayed them as diligent, law-abiding individuals with no criminal histories who work hard to support their family by washing cars and cleaning houses.
They were also awaiting a green card and work visa, which he had sponsored when they were detained.
“It makes me proud of them, honestly. I’ve witnessed their struggles,” Rios shared. “The least I can do is serve this country. I don’t think they deserved this.”
This whole experience was unsettling for him, as it’s something he had always feared might happen.
Ashley, his sister, recalled the emotional phone call she received when their parents were first detained at Camp Pendleton. “I got a text from my brother saying they were stopped. I started crying as soon as I heard,” she remembered, trying to restrain her tears.
As she was in labor for her first child, the situation became even more challenging. “It’s tough because you want to hear your parent’s voices and reassure yourself that everything will be okay,” she confessed. “I always imagined them being there for the delivery.”
The siblings are uncertain about what lies ahead, but they believe their faith will help them endure.
“They may or may not be sent back,” Rios reflected. “You’re the only one who knows.”
An ICE representative stated that the couple was detained because they enforce immigration laws and target individuals who have committed crimes or violated immigration regulations. The message concluded with a reminder that anyone violating U.S. immigration laws could face deportation.
