Army captain criticizes ICE over detention of soldier's father

A U.S. Army captain has voiced strong criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining family members of military personnel. Captain Mohamed Elmaola spoke out following the case of Army Spc. Romero Ralios, whose father was taken into federal custody.

Elmaola described Ralios as an "exceptional soldier" and emphasized that his father deserves due process. The captain told the Associated Press that it is "very difficult to communicate and have credibility as a leader" when service members do not receive adequate support. Ralios' father, Sebastian Ralios Tino, a Guatemalan gardener who had lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades without legal status, was detained over the summer and reportedly has no known criminal record.

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It is very difficult to communicate and have credibility as a leader when subordinates do not receive support.

The situation has been particularly difficult for Ralios, who spent nine months last year on the Southern Border Joint Task Force, assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He now struggles with sleep due to stress and regrets his role in immigration control operations, even though he was following orders. Reflecting on those affected, he expressed remorse for the "families that were destroyed."

An Associated Press investigation identified more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty service members detained since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term. At least six were deported, one left the U.S. voluntarily, and eight remain in federal immigration custody. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not maintain specific records of these cases, but AP reconstructed 52 instances using court records, media reports, and interviews. DHS stated that at least seven individuals had prior expulsions, eight had deportation orders, and two had convictions. The department maintained that military service does not automatically grant legal status or exemption from immigration laws. The Pentagon declined to comment on the findings.

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I regret it for all the families that were destroyed.