Immigration enforcement at a California military base has ensnared delivery drivers and contractors with no criminal records, sparking alarm among attorneys who say workers legally pursuing green cards are being detained simply for showing up to earn a paycheck.

Workers With Approved Petitions Swept Into Custody

Immigration attorneys in San Diego report a troubling pattern at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, where rideshare drivers, delivery workers, movers, and contractors are being detained by ICE at base entry gates. Four men represented by one downtown San Diego attorney were arrested over a two-week period despite having no criminal records and holding approved I-130 petitions, the family sponsorship forms required for green card applications. Three remain in the Otay Mesa detention facility while attorneys pursue habeas corpus and bond petitions. One detainee had recently completed his green card interview before arrest.

May Security Initiative Drives Enforcement Surge

Camp Pendleton announced an interagency collaboration in May involving ICE, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Customs and Border Protection to bolster base security and deter foreign nationals from accessing the facility. The initiative preceded the recent wave of gate detentions, which attorneys describe as targeting individuals who previously entered the base without issue for legitimate contract work. When questioned by media, Camp Pendleton officials directed all inquiries to ICE, whose spokesperson acknowledged the inquiry but provided no details on detention criteria or numbers. The enforcement actions mirror a broader regional trend, with nearly 5,000 ICE arrests recorded in San Diego and Imperial Counties since the start of Trump’s second presidential term.

Base Access Becomes Immigration Trap

The detained workers had established histories of entering Camp Pendleton for employment purposes, raising questions about why routine gate checks suddenly resulted in custody. One immigration attorney told NBC 7 that her clients “don’t understand they were working. It’s not like they were doing something bad.” The arrests differ from typical ICE operations in that they specifically target individuals at military installation entry points rather than workplaces or residences. Earlier this month, a Marine’s father was arrested and deported after visiting Camp Pendleton, establishing a precedent that legitimate family and business connections to the base offer no protection from enforcement. The pattern suggests base security protocols now function as immigration screening checkpoints for anyone without citizenship documentation.

Chilling Effect on Essential Services and Workers

The detentions threaten to disrupt essential services to the military base, as delivery drivers, rideshare operators, and contractors may avoid Camp Pendleton entirely rather than risk arrest. Businesses relying on immigrant labor for base contracts face workforce shortages, while families of service members could encounter difficulties arranging moves or deliveries. The economic impact extends to rideshare platforms like Uber and delivery services including DoorDash, which depend on drivers willing to accept assignments at military installations. Immigration attorneys warn the enforcement approach sets a dangerous precedent, potentially expanding to other federal facilities nationwide and further isolating immigrant communities from legitimate economic participation, even when they are actively navigating the legal immigration system with government-approved petitions.

For Americans frustrated with government overreach, this development illustrates how security measures can ensnare the very people following legal processes to become permanent residents. The targeting of workers with approved family sponsorships and clean records at a military base entrance raises fundamental questions about proportionality and due process. When individuals pursuing the American Dream through legal channels find themselves detained for showing up to work, the system appears less concerned with genuine security threats than with creating a climate of fear that discourages any immigrant participation in the economy, regardless of legal status or criminal history.