In a poignant intersection of military service and immigration policy, the parents of a U.S. Marine found themselves ensnared by federal immigration authorities after a routine visit to a California military base. This incident has thrown a spotlight on the repercussions of stringent immigration enforcement on families tied to the military.

Steve Rios, a Marine stationed in Oceanside, California, shared with NBC 7 San Diego the distressing account of his parents’ ordeal. Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez were apprehended last month as they were en route to Camp Pendleton to collect Steve’s pregnant sister, Ashley Rios, and her husband, who also serves in the Marine Corps.

The couple, migrants from Mexico who arrived in the United States three decades ago, had pending applications for green cards. Despite this, immigration agents detained them, subsequently releasing them with electronic ankle monitors. However, during a subsequent meeting with federal immigration officials, they were taken into custody once more, Steve recounted.

In a heartbreaking conclusion to the events, Esteban Rios, who proudly donned a hat and shirt emblazoned with “Proud Dad of a U.S. Marine,” was deported on Friday. Reflecting on his father’s optimistic spirit, Steve remembered him saying confidently, “Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine.” Unfortunately, the outcome was far from what they anticipated, highlighting the unpredictable nature of immigration enforcement and its impact on military families.

“He said, ‘Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine,’” Rios recalled his father saying.

Marine Corps recruiters have long promoted enlistment as a path to stability for families without legal immigration status, but experts say those assurances have eroded as federal authorities have moved to enforce existing laws more strictly.

Requests for additional information on Wednesday were not immediately returned. Messages seeking additional comment were sent to the contact addresses and telephone numbers listed for the Rios family.

The episode comes as the Trump administration pursues an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, which has at times ensnared the relatives of military members and veterans.

In June, a Louisiana Marine veteran said immigration authorities detained his wife even though she was still nursing their 3-month-old daughter.

And in July, a U.S. Army veteran who was born and raised in California was arrested during an immigration raid at a marijuana farm where he worked in security. George Retes, 25, was detained for three days at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, then released without being charged.