Trump breaks military recruitment vows as he arrests and deports veterans
The Trump administration has initiated deportation proceedings against 34 former military members over the past year and arrested 125 others for immigration violations, representing a dramatic reversal of previous policies that shielded service members and their families from enforcement action.
Federal data obtained by The New York Times reveals that immigration authorities also placed 248 relatives of former military members into deportation proceedings after the Trump administration rescinded Biden-era guidance giving service members preferential treatment in immigration enforcement decisions.
The shift marks a significant departure from longstanding practice. The Biden administration and prior administrations made military service members and their relatives lower priorities for detention and deportation, particularly when criminal convictions were involved.
The policy change directly contradicts military recruitment pledges. U.S. military recruiters continue promoting citizenship pathways for immigrant service members and promising temporary protection for their family members. Green-card holders joining the military have historically accessed expedited citizenship processes, and relatives can apply for temporary permission to remain in the country.
However, federal data shows the number of green-card holders applying for citizenship after military service declined significantly during Trump's first term. Currently, nearly 27,000 active duty immigrants and about 20,000 reserve and National Guard members serve in the military, with 115,000 immigrant veterans in the broader veteran population as of 2022.
Family members of service members now fear applying for temporary protection benefits, concerned that such applications will target them for deportation.
A prominent case illustrates the policy's impact. Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart recipient who served in Panama in 1989, self-deported to South Korea in June despite living in the United States since childhood. After struggling with PTSD and drug addiction following his service, Park had fought earlier deportation orders and was allowed to remain in the country on the condition he avoid further legal troubles. An immigration officer nonetheless informed him in May 2025 that he faced deportation unless he left voluntarily.
Lawmakers have criticized the policy as both ineffective and disrespectful to service members.
"Donald Trump's way of thanking our veterans for their service is by targeting and deporting them and their families," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
The Department of Homeland Security defended the policy, stating that no one should be exempt from immigration law consequences. The agency did not respond to questions about whether any detained veterans were ultimately deported.
Stephen Miller hit with ‘uncomfortable silence’ as he jabs Republicans with loyalty test
Stephen Miller encouraged Texas Republican state legislators to challenge a decades-old U.S. Supreme Court precedent
The White House deputy chief of staff views GOP-led state legislatures as a workaround to get anti-immigration laws on the books that wouldn't need to pass through the gridlock in Congress, especially as Republicans at this point appear likely to lose their House majority and possibly the Senate, reported the New York Times.
“He sees conservative states like Texas and Florida can be partners with the federal government,” said state Rep. Tom Oliverson, chairman of the Texas House Republican Caucus. “We can be a place where some of those ideas can be tried out because they’re difficult to do at the federal level.”
Miller met with Texas Republicans for more than four hours and demanded to know why the GOP-dominated legislature had not passed a bill to restrict public school funding to children who are citizens or are “lawfully present in the United States," which would break a precedent set in 1982 by a ruling in Plyler v. Doe that found states must pay for elementary school education for children regardless of their immigration status.
“There’s a lot of people that believe that that ruling has some pretty faulty logic associated with it,” Oliverson said. “He challenged us, and he encouraged us, and he asked us to partner with him."
Miller's proposal, if passed into state law, would cut education funding for an estimated 100,000 students out of more than 5.5 million schoolchildren in the state, the Times reported. It appears to be intended as a model for other red states to follow, according to the report.
"[It seems to be an effort from the White House to pressure lawmakers into passing extreme immigration policies that don’t reflect the needs of our state," said state Rep. Ramon Romero, a Democrat and the chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
Miller led off the meeting, which included Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, with a loyalty test that landed awkwardly, according to Oliverson.
"Do we have a RINO problem in Texas?” he said, using an acronym for “Republican in name only” that is used by conservatives to disparage party moderates.
“There was no answer — it was just uncomfortable silence,” Oliverson said.
MAGA furious as it discovers likely replacement for Markwayne Mullin funded Trump nemesis
MAGA loyalists were unhappy Monday after discovering the replacement for Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), oil and gas executive Alan Armstrong, had made a political contribution to one of President Donald Trump's adversaries.
Armstrong was slated to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to talk about the plans to appoint him to potentially serve the rest of Mullin's remaining term in the Senate as Mullin takes over to lead the Department of Homeland Security, The Daily Beast reported.
Although the details of the discussions were not immediately released, the conversation was expected to touch on Armstrong's $5,800 donation to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). Kinzinger had voted to impeach Trump and the donation came around that time, according to NOTUS.
Stitt has also reportedly floated the idea of two other people replacing Mullin, including Stitt's own senior advisor Dustin Hilliary and oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm.
Some of Trump's MAGA allies were furious over the move to potentially bring Armstrong to Capitol Hill.
Right-wing activist Laura Loomer was enraged over the development.
“Has anyone told President Trump that the Governor of Oklahoma is bringing a Never Trumper who donated to a rabid anti-Trump Congressman who voted to impeach him after J6 to meet with him?” Loomer wrote on X. “Hey @SenMullin what do you think about your Never Trump replacement? Now would be a good time for you to speak up!”
Roger Stone, longtime political consultant and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, had a similar reaction.
“Alan Armstrong the Oklahoma Oil Man RINO Governor Stitt wants to appoint to the vacancy in the US Senate gave thousands of dollars to Trump enemy Little Adam Kinzinger AFTER the Jan 6 Fedsurrection,” Stone wrote on X.
Stone also added that Stitt should select Hamm to replace Mullin.
"RINO Oklahoma Gov Stitt should appoint Harold Hamm instead of Adam Kinzinger Megadonor Alan Armstrong to Oklahoma's vacancy in the US Senate," Stone wrote on X.
Co-founder of Students for Trump, Ryan Fournier, had a similar sentiment.
"Gov. Stitt is pushing for Alan Armstrong to replace Mullin in the Senate. Armstrong donated thousands to Never-Trumper Adam Kinzinger after he voted to impeach Trump," Fournier wrote on X.
