(CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA) The father of a U.S. Marine was deported from the United States 🇺🇸 after a family visit to Camp Pendleton, as a dispute over whether he had a criminal record remains unresolved, according to the Department of Homeland Security and the family. The case centers on Esteban Rios, father of Marine Steve Rios, who was removed to Mexico on October 10, 2025, days after being stopped with his wife, Luisa Rodriguez, at the Marine base gate in late September. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Rios had a criminal record involving domestic violence and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The family and several media outlets say the claim is false and that both parents had clean records and pending green card cases.
The clash over facts has turned a local incident into a national conversation about due process for military families, the reliability of federal records used in immigration enforcement, and the effects of stepped-up removal operations under President Trump in 2025. It has also rattled Marines at Camp Pendleton, where recruiters had already been told not to imply that military service can help relatives with immigration status.
Rios and Rodriguez were first stopped at the base gate during a routine visit, detained for hours, then released with ankle monitors and told to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) later that week, the family says. At that downtown San Diego check-in, Rios was detained and deported less than two weeks later. Rodriguez’s status remains unclear as of October 17, 2025, according to relatives.
Conflicting claims over a criminal record
DHS says Rios had a qualifying criminal record that made him a priority for deportation. That claim, if proven, would typically place him in a category of cases fast-tracked for removal. But relatives insist the government is wrong and that no such record exists.
They say both parents are long-term, law-abiding residents who were in the middle of a family-based immigration process. According to the Rios family, Marine Steve Rios had filed immigrant petitions to sponsor his parents for permanent residence. Those petitions usually begin with Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, which establishes a qualifying family relationship.
Families commonly file the petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the start of the green card process. The official instructions and filing options are available on USCIS’s site at Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.
The central dispute—whether Rios had a criminal record—remains unresolved. DHS has not released public court records or detailed evidence to support the assertion, and the agency has not answered follow-up questions from reporters. The family has countered with interviews and statements to multiple outlets saying DHS is wrong. Without public documents, outside verification is not possible at this time.
That gap has fed anger in the military community and raised fears among mixed-status families who visit bases for graduations, training milestones, and homecomings.
Human impact and related cases
The Rios case has a clear human cost. Relatives say Steve Rios is balancing service duties with sudden family separation, while his sister Ashley, who is pregnant, has faced a wave of uncertainty as the family tries to track her mother’s case and find legal help.
Their story mirrors others this year in which relatives of service members were detained or removed, including a highly publicized case of Narciso Barranco, father of three Marines, who was detained after a forceful ICE arrest caught on video and later released following public outcry. Barranco’s family says he has no criminal record.
“Mass enforcement actions carry a higher risk of error, particularly when agents move fast and people lack lawyers at the key moment.” — advocacy groups such as Human Rights First
Enforcement surge and military family fallout
The case arrives during a forceful expansion of immigration enforcement in 2025. DHS reported in late September that more than two million people had either been removed by authorities or departed on their own since January 2025, including:
- 1.6 million voluntary departures
- 400,000 removals by agencies
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the pace of these actions and their reach into mixed-status households have widened the circle of people touched by deportation, including families connected to the armed forces.
Within the Marine Corps, cooperation with ICE has grown more formal. Officials describe joint operations at military installations that include base access checks and coordination with federal databases. The stated goal is to enforce federal law on federal property.
Recruiters have been instructed not to imply that enlistment guarantees any form of immigration relief for parents or spouses. That guidance echoes long-standing rules: U.S. military service by a child does not, by itself, grant parents legal status.
Parole in Place (PIP) and policy tools
Policies exist to keep certain military families together in the United States. Parole in Place (PIP) allows some undocumented spouses, parents, and children of U.S. service members, veterans, and reservists to remain in the country temporarily and, in some cases, apply for a green card inside the United States rather than at a consulate abroad.
- Families and attorneys say PIP remains available but is uneven in practice and hard to access.
- USCIS offers policy information for military families, including PIP guidance, at its military resources page: USCIS Military Resources.
- Advocates for the Rios family say this tool should have been considered given the family’s ties to active-duty service.
Gate checks, data reliability, and due process concerns
Base security checks often include quick searches of government systems for open warrants and immigration hits. Critics warn these checks can:
- Sweep in old or incorrect data
- Trigger enforcement before a family can show pending applications
- Produce conflicting results between local court records and federal databases
Supporters argue consistent checks are necessary to protect installations and enforce federal law without exceptions.
Advocacy groups note that fast enforcement increases the risk of error, particularly when people lack legal counsel at the gate or during ICE check-ins. Practical issues make challenges difficult:
- Families often do not have certified copies of court records with them during visits
- Local criminal checks do not always match federal databases
- If detention follows a check-in, it can be hard to recover documents (passports, marriage certificates, USCIS receipts) in time to contest removal
In the Rios case, the timeline was compressed: stop at the base, release with ankle monitors, ICE check-in, and deportation on October 10, 2025—all within roughly two weeks.
Legal mechanics and consequences
Policy experts point out:
- Pending immigration filings do not block deportation unless a formal stay is in place.
- A typical family-based case begins with Form I-130.
- Depending on entry history, applicants may need additional steps before applying for a green card.
- If PIP is granted, some can apply for adjustment inside the U.S.; if not, they may face consular processing abroad and potential lengthy reentry bars.
Because of these mechanics, legal counsel often prioritizes securing PIP first. Families connected to troops argue that PIP helps keep households intact during deployments and reduces strain on service members.
The Marine Corps has not publicly criticized federal enforcement actions but is adjusting guidance. Leaders emphasize:
- Families should not expect special treatment due to military ties
- Troops and families should seek legal guidance when needed
Base commanders must balance installation security, federal law compliance, and avoiding the appearance of targeting relatives of service members.
Political and policy debate
The broader political debate is polarized:
- Supporters of strong enforcement say DHS is applying the law as written and that confirmed criminal history should influence removal decisions.
- Civil society groups demand DHS produce evidence when citing a criminal record—especially when that claim drives immediate deportation.
Critics also raise concerns that fast-track removals can separate families before facts are checked, a problem that disproportionately affects military households because service members cannot easily leave duty stations to respond.
For now, key confirmed facts are:
- A gate stop at Camp Pendleton in late September
- Release with ankle monitors
- An ICE check-in downtown San Diego
- A deportation on October 10, 2025
The unresolved question is whether a verified criminal record existed—and where the documentation is. Until DHS releases records or a court file surfaces, the discrepancy will continue to shadow the case and worry the Marine community.
Practical advice for families and policy proposals
Families facing similar situations often take these steps:
- Keep certified court dispositions, USCIS receipt notices, and passports in a ready file.
- Present proof of pending cases and clean records if stopped.
- Contact installation legal assistance offices for immigration counsel referrals.
- Use ICE’s phone lines and detainee locator to track cases, noting updates can lag.
Advocates and policy proposals arising from this case include:
- Apply PIP more broadly and consistently to parents of service members.
- Institute a policy that no deportation should occur while a PIP request is under review, unless there is a proven public safety threat.
- Create a uniform hold policy for mixed-status military families when facts are in dispute, especially where a claimed criminal record lacks certified documentation.
Conclusion
This year’s enforcement surge, DHS removal numbers, and increased collaboration between the Marine Corps and immigration authorities suggest base encounters like the one at Camp Pendleton will continue. Disputes over criminal records will matter greatly in the critical hours after a gate stop.
For the Rios family, the window for answers narrowed quickly. Whether DHS can now provide documentation that resolves the core discrepancy will shape how this case is remembered—and how future military families prepare for a visit to the front gate.
This Article in a Nutshell
Esteban Rios, father of Marine Steve Rios, was stopped at Camp Pendleton’s gate in late September, released with ankle monitors, then detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Mexico on October 10, 2025. DHS says Rios had a criminal record involving domestic violence and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which made him a removal priority. The family and media dispute that claim and say both parents had pending family-based green-card petitions. The unresolved dispute over the existence of criminal records has provoked due-process concerns for military families, highlighted gaps in federal record reliability, and intensified debate over expanded enforcement operations in 2025. Advocates urge greater transparency, broader access to Parole in Place, and procedural holds when documentation is in dispute.
