Deporting his blameless bride won't thank him for his service
Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank, left, and his wife, Annie Ramos, celebrate their wedding in March in Houston. Credit: Jen Rickling via AP
Cold edicts by top federal bureaucrats aimed at hustling anyone who can technically be branded "illegal" out of the United States have begun to afflict soldiers and their families.
What else can you conclude from the surreal situation of newlyweds Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank, 23, and his wife Annie Ramos, 22?
She suddenly faces deportation for reasons having nothing to do with the safety and well-being of Americans. She's not a criminal but a biochemistry student. Last Thursday, Ramos was with relatives at Fort Polk, Louisiana, to register as a military spouse and move onto the base, the family reports. Instead, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the facility and arrested her.
The blitz to round up people in big numbers has been less visible lately in public spaces, yet proceeds at full speed.
Ramos was released from detention this week, but with an ankle monitor, pending possible deportation. She was born in Honduras and brought here as a baby. She grew up in Houston and reportedly applied to be protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Important to note: The first Trump administration tried to terminate DACA in 2017. But in June 2020, the Supreme Court voided the cancellation as "arbitrary and capricious," forcing the government to reinstate the program.
Staff Sgt. Blank, her husband, explained in a statement to media: "In 2020, she applied for DACA, paid the fees, completed her fingerprints, and like so many others, her application has been left in limbo."
Blank added: "I never imagined that trying to do the right thing—registering my wife so she could receive her military ID, access the benefits she is entitled to as my spouse, and begin the process toward her green card—would lead to her being taken away from me. Instead of preparing for our future together, I am now fighting for her freedom."
Another nasty bureaucratic curveball: One year ago, according to The Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security scrapped a 2022 policy deeming an immediate family member's military service to be a "significant mitigating factor" in civil immigration enforcement actions.
The newly empowered ICE says in its own statement that Ramos "illegally crossed the southern border." Of course, that was before she was 2. They described her as "an illegal alien" who "attempted to enter a military base." "Being in detention is a choice," ICE declared. "The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now."
This is consistent with the agency practice of abruptly grabbing and holding people in New York and elsewhere who show up as ordered for court and other hearings.
Now it has been announced that ICE agents will be staking out Marine Corps graduation events to find undocumented immigrants among recruits' families.
This week, President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe preened and bragged about our military leaving no warrior behind after two U.S. airmen shot down by an Iranian missile were rescued.
Staff Sgt. Blank is due to begin deployment training at the end of this month — with overseas duty expected after that. He's previously served in the Middle East and Europe.
Much doubt was instantly cast on the commitment of both the Pentagon and the White House to always support our troops. But once reunited with his wife, Staff Sgt. Blank told The New York Times: "I'm complete and ready to serve our country."
"And it's her country too," Blank said — even after ICE and DHS condescendingly claimed otherwise.
Columnist Dan Janison's opinions are his own.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
