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The father of a 19-year-old American Marine was arrested last Sunday in West Palm Beach while heading to church after having breakfast with his family, during a traffic stop conducted by immigration officers in an unmarked vehicle.
Christopher Alonso, a member of the Marine Corps, was in South Carolina at a military base at the time of his father's arrest, Tirso, who has been in the country for decades and has no criminal record.
Days later, the young man recounted to WLFX the anguish of receiving the call from his mother. "They handcuffed him. They gave no reason. We believe my father was racially discriminated against," he said.
The young boy and his siblings, the youngest at seven years old, are American citizens; however, their parents, born in Mexico, are not.
The boys were present during the arrest and witnessed everything.
"We don't know why they only took my dad and not my mom. It's most likely because there were little kids there, scared and crying all the time," said the marine.
Christopher had previously requested the status of Parole in Place (PiP) for his parents, a humanitarian allowance that permits immediate family members of military personnel to remain legally in the country while their documentation is being processed. However, it had not been approved by Sunday.
According to data from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the processing of these applications takes an average of four months, and approximately 61% of the petitions were approved in the last fiscal year.
However, a spokesperson indicated that the Trump administration aims to limit what it considers an "abuse" of these humanitarian programs, leaving cases like Alonso's in a vulnerable position.
The arrest left the family in a state of emotional and financial uncertainty, as Tirso is the sole breadwinner of the household.
The man was initially taken to a detention center in Riviera Beach and later transferred to the Alligator Alcatraz center, where he was assigned a detainee number.
According to family members, he has not had access to visits and is trying to find a lawyer who will work pro bono for his case.
Due to the difficulty of affording legal representation, the family has turned to the platform GoFundMe to seek financial support.
Despite the situation, they hold on to the hope of reuniting soon.
"(My dad) strives to stay strong. He prays to God every day to be able to come home and reunite with us," Christopher emphasized.
The young man highlighted the importance of his military service, not only as an honor to his country but also as an attempt to ensure security and legal documentation for his parents, something that is now threatened by the unexpected detention of Tirso Alonso.
"It's really difficult to know what we do for this country, for the government, and how we're treated. It's really tough," he lamented.
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