Iraq War veteran who’s called the United States home for nearly three decades may now be forced to leave the country he once fought for. In a decision handed down Friday, an immigration judge ruled that 45-year-old Marlon Parris—a longtime Green Card holder and decorated former U.S. Army serviceman—can legally be deported, despite his years of lawful residence and military service.
Parris, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, came to the U.S. in 1997 as the son of a naturalized citizen. Since then, he built a life in Arizona, renewed his permanent residency status repeatedly, and completed two combat tours in Iraq. Yet a decade-old nonviolent drug conviction from 2011—previously deemed not grounds for deportation by immigration officials—has now become the basis for his potential removal.
In a twist of fate, Parris was returning from a vacation with his wife in 2023 when customs agents at the airport seized his Green Card. At the time, he was actively fighting to have it reinstated. Just months later, in January 2025, ICE agents pulled him over near his home in Laveen and took him into custody—claiming he was “on a list” for detention.
Since then, he’s been held in a private detention center in Florence, Arizona, with visits from his wife, Tanisha Hartwell-Parris, limited to brief conversations through a glass barrier.
Tanisha blames the renewed immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump for her husband’s detention. “Nothing changed in his case except the administration,” she said. Parris had even been issued a formal letter from ICE years earlier indicating he could remain in the U.S.
His lawyer, Douglas Kouffie, pushed back against the court’s decision, arguing that the government’s evidence was submitted too late and lacked proper certification. But Judge Frank Travieso still ruled that enough legal basis existed for deportation—despite expressing sympathy for Parris’ situation.
The case adds fuel to growing national debate over the scope and fairness of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, which includes mass raids, stricter deportation policies, and attempts to roll back birthright citizenship. Critics argue the system now ensnares even those with deep, lawful ties to the country—like veterans.
