Overview
- Noncitizen veterans report heightened fear of deportation under President Donald Trump’s stepped-up enforcement, with some scaling back travel and daily activities.
- Rep. Mark Takano introduced a bipartisan measure that would compel DHS to flag veteran status in immigration proceedings and give eligible veterans a chance to apply for lawful status.
- The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Delegate Amata Coleman Radewagen, would allow service members to apply for citizenship during basic training and extend application timelines.
- New Trump administration policy memos eliminate prior ICE discretion to weigh military service in enforcement decisions, and DHS says removals reflect enforcement of existing law.
- Individual cases underscore the stakes: Marine veteran Julio Torres was detained at Dallas–Fort Worth airport in 2024 despite holding a green card, and Army veteran David Bariu was deported to Kenya before later naturalizing and returning under a Biden-era program.