Wife of U.S. veteran detained by ICE speaks out: 'He was told he wouldn't be deported'
A U.S. military veteran was detained by ICE despite being told he would not be deported, according to his wife. The case has sparked outrage as advocates call for better protections for immigrant veterans
The wife of a U.S. military veteran detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is speaking out after her husband was taken into custody despite being assured he would not face deportation. The case has sparked outrage among advocates, who argue that veterans who have served their country should be protected from deportation.
The veteran, Marlon Parris, was detained during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with immigration officials. According to his wife, ICE had previously assured them that he would not be removed from the country. Now, she is fighting for his release, calling on officials to honor their promise and protect veterans from deportation.
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On his way to the ATM
Marlon Parris has spent 24 days in federal custody already, making him one of the first individuals detained under the newly implemented Trump Administration policies. On January 22, while heading to an ATM to withdraw cash for the family's housekeeper, he was suddenly surrounded by unmarked SUVs flashing police lights.
"He called me and said, 'I think ICE is detaining me,'" recalled his wife, Tanisha Hartwell-Parris. "I was completely shocked, just in total disbelief."
Parris was taken into custody just three minutes from their home in Laveen. His wife rushed to the scene, only to find him already in ICE’s hands. Desperate for answers, she immediately contacted their immigration lawyer. When she questioned the agents about the reason for his detention, she was given a vague response: her husband was "on a list."
Marlon Parris' story
Marlon Parris, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, came to the U.S. as a minor in the late 1990s. A few years later, he joined the Army and was among the first soldiers deployed to Iraq after 9/11. Throughout multiple deployments, Parris witnessed the deaths of close friends and developed PTSD. Despite the hardships he faced during his service, his wife, Tanisha Hartwell-Parris, says he remains proud of his military career.
In 2011, after leaving the Army, Parris pleaded guilty to a nonviolent drug offense and served five years in prison. Upon his release in 2016, he received a letter from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security stating that he would be allowed to remain in the country. Since then, he has rebuilt his life—graduating with honors from Grand Canyon University, starting a business, and marrying Hartwell-Parris. He had no further legal troubles, yet just two days after President Donald Trump took office, Parris was arrested by ICE, despite prior assurances that he would not face deportation.