Noncitizen veterans and active service members face deportation under Trump immigration crackdown
Jul 6, 2026

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pursuing enforcement actions against noncitizen military veterans and active service members without treating military service as a mitigating factor, according to veterans' advocates. Historically, ICE has considered military service when making enforcement decisions, but the Trump administration appears to have reversed this policy. The Migration Policy Institute estimates approximately 117,000 U.S. military veterans are neither native born nor naturalized citizens and are now at risk of detention and deportation. Recruiters have promised immigration benefits to service members and their families, but the administration is not honoring these commitments.
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