ICE arrests military spouses during Green Card interviews; families shocked

Multiple nonnative spouses of U.S. Citizens appeared for their last green-card interviews at the local office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in San Diego. In several cases, shortly before their interviews concluded, ICE agents entered, handcuffed them and placed them under arrest.

A wide range of people have been impacted by the arrests, including spouses holding newborns, parents of U.S. Citizens, and the wife of a Navy veteran.

According to reports and their immigration lawyers, none had a criminal record, and the majority had completed background checks and submitted all necessary documentation for marriage-based green card applications.

According to Herman Legal Group, San Diego has now become the epicenter of a sharp increase in such arrests — sometimes described as “a new normal” for green-card applicants entering via marriage to U.S. Citizens.

It is even more disheartening for the people who have served their country. Navy veteran, Samuel Shasteen, said, “I feel betrayed,” when asked about his wife's arrest from the USCIS right before her interview.

The detained people are currently being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, NBC7 reported

Read more: Immigrant with family ties to White House press secy Leavitt detained by ICE

Under U.S. Immigration law, spouses of American citizens who entered the country lawfully are generally eligible to adjust status, even if their tourist/business visa has expired during the lengthy green-card process.

Despite the law's adjustments, ICE's explanation in many of these cases was “visa overstay.” No allegations of fraud or criminal behavior were cited, and many of those detained had already passed preliminary background and security checks.

According to KBPS, ICE said in a statement that it is dedicated to upholding immigration law while ignoring criticisms regarding the necessity of these green card arrests.

The immigration lawyers whose clients have been arrested are saying that the arrests represent “a drastic policy shift,” one that undermines decades of practice.

Advocates say these detentions undercut promises that serving in the military or being married to a citizen offers security or protection. ICE's current rampant arrests from the green-card interviews disregard humanitarian and moral obligations, especially for long-established families.

Read more: Oklahoma University professor with valid H-1B visa arrested by ICE, details here

AP reported that a class-action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on November 25, 2025. It challenges ICE’s detention of immigrants who showed up for routine check-ins or legal proceedings in San Diego.

The lawsuit argued that re-detaining people previously cleared for release, without new crimes or warnings, violates their constitutional due-process rights.

The lawsuit names petitioners who had complied with all prior hearings and court orders, had no criminal record, yet were taken into custody unexpectedly during ICE-scheduled check-ins.

Earlier in 2025, a similar lawsuit was filed against ICE for courthouse arrests in San Diego after agents detained asylum-seekers and other immigrants exiting immigration court, reportedly without giving them proper due process. That suit argues such arrests are “arbitrary” and undermine the integrity of the immigration legal process.

Immigrant-rights organisations and legal aid groups are urging anyone with green-card interviews scheduled at USCIS offices, especially in San Diego, to consult attorneys and be aware of potential enforcement action.

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