Six of those relatives have already been deported, a seventh left the country voluntarily, and at least eight remained in custody as of publication. For decades, close relatives of service members were treated as effectively off-limits for deportation enforcement under an informal, bipartisan understanding. A Recruiting Promise That Predates Two AdministrationsThe relatives being detained are, in many cases, the same people the military has spent years promising to protect. That stretch of limbo has coincided with a policy reversal: in April 2025, immigration authorities rescinded guidance that had previously treated a family's military ties as a reason to hold off on enforcement. In a public statement, DHS maintained that military service "does not automatically grant lawful immigration status."