- July 7, 2025
Veterans and Military Families Reps. Discuss Concerns with Immigration Detentions/Deployments and Military

Access a Recording of the Virtual Event HERE
Washington, DC — On a virtual press event held today (recording available here), veterans and representatives from military families organizations discussed the growing connection between immigration and the military. Speakers reflected on the mission creep and misplaced priorities reflected by the recent deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles and also highlighted why recent detentions and deployments affecting military families raise concerns.
Brandi Jones, Organizing Director at Secure Families Initiative, stated: “As the descendant of a Black American Revolutionary War veteran, I reflect this 4th of July on both the promise and the responsibility of freedom. Military family readiness is force readiness. At Secure Families Initiative, we’re hearing from active-duty families: you can’t keep the force if families are stretched thin—or if troops are used against civilians. That breaks trust—and the oath to the Constitution. President Eisenhower warned us: ‘A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.’ This Independence Day, let’s remember that patriotism means accountability—and that liberty must be protected not just with strength, but with integrity.”
Joe Plenzler, Marine Corps combat veteran and member of the Board of Unite for Veterans Coalition, said: “The mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad is to locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, not engage in law enforcement activities. The deployment of 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines in Los Angeles is dangerous and a gross misuse of a great battalion. When I led the 1st Platoon of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, about half of my Marines came from Spanish-speaking families. Imagine what it must be like for them today to be ordered to do a law enforcement job they are not trained to do and support the arrests of people who look a lot like the folks they’d see at their own family reunions.”
Dan Maurer, Associate Professor of Law and Lt Col (retired) US Army JAG Corps, stated: “I served in combat and taught Constitutional law at West Point. The rules of engagement Marines learn for warzones like Iraq and Afghanistan are vastly different from the Constitutional rights they must respect when deployed on our streets and working with ICE. Trump’s effort to make America militarized again puts our Marines in a dangerous situation and goes against the founding principles of our nation. Our founders did not consider civilian protests as rebellion and never wanted our armed forces policing our streets. In fact, it was the use of the military by the British monarchy to quell dissent that sparked the American Revolution and why our founders feared a standing Army.”
And Chris Purdy, Founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, said: “In a democracy, the military defends the nation—it doesn’t police its people. These unnecessary law enforcement missions hurt morale, undermine readiness, and blur the line between military service and political power.”
- Access a recording of today’s virtual event HERE