AP Exclusive: Trump’s immigration crackdown has detained more than 50 military spouses and parents

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.

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 detained The AP found that at least 52 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 and one self-deported. At least eight immediate family members of U.S.

service members remain in federal immigration custody. The AP’s review is the first accounting of such detentions, and it’s likely an undercount. The government does not track such data.

The AP obtained information by analyzing thousands of federal court records compiled by Habeas Docket, a project run by the Immigration Justice Transparency Initiative; by reviewing existing media coverage; and by verifying information with family members and attorneys. “DHS and ICE value the contributions of all those who have served in the U.S. military,” DHS said in a statement.

military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.” The Pentagon declined to comment. Military service members lose their safety nets Army Staff Sgt.