A U.S. Marine said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents first detained his parents at Camp Pendleton before releasing them with ankle monitors and directing them to check in with the agency. When they checked in a few days later, ICE detained them again, and on Friday, his father was deported, the Marine told NBC 7.

Steve Rios of Oceanside said he enlisted because of his parents, Esteban Rios and Luisa Rodriguez. He said they came to the U.S. from Mexico more than 30 years ago and have washed cars and cleaned houses from sun-up to sundown for his whole life.

“It was just making them proud, right? I’ve seen all the struggles they’ve gone through,” Steve said. “The least I could do, right, and serve this country and try to, you know, put some time in. I don’t think amounts to what they’ve done.”

Steve and his parents were headed to pick up his younger sister Ashley Rios and her husband, who’s also a Marine, at Camp Pendleton on Sept. 28. They’ve done that every weekend for the past few months because she’s expecting her first child.

But Steve said this last time, they were stopped at the gate, and ICE agents arrived, detaining both his parents. Their family says they have no criminal history, as well as pending green card applications – sponsored by Steve – and work visas as they wait for approval.

“It was scary,” Steve said. “It was scary because my whole life, I’ve kind of just, it’s been in the back of my head.”

“My brother texted me that they got stopped. And as soon as I heard that, I just started, like, bawling,” said Ashley, who was waiting for them with her husband, looking forward to eating French toast together. “He asked what was wrong, and I said that my parents were getting taken.”

Their parents were taken downtown and Steve said he was able to pick them up a few hours later, with ankle monitors, and bring them home. They were told to check in with ICE downtown on Thursday, Steve said, so he went with them, and they waited for several hours before learning they would be detained again.

“I just kept on looking at my parents. I didn’t know if it would be the last time I’d see them,” Steve said.

ICE agents led his parents away as his father wore a red shirt and white hat that both said “Proud dad of a U.S. Marine,” an outfit he picked out with intention for the check-in.

“He said, ‘Yeah, this is my lucky shirt, so we’ll be fine,'” Steve said.

Steve said Friday morning, he talked briefly by phone with his dad, who told him they were being held in the basement of the federal building that houses ICE and immigration court, but they were told they will be moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

When asked why the couple was detained, a spokesperson for ICE said in a statement, “As part of its routine operations, ICE arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws.”

“All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality,” the statement continued.

“It’s just hard because you just want to hear, like, your parents voice, that everything will be OK,” Ashley said, adding that she was nervous, especially thinking about her pregnancy. “I’d always want, like, my mom in that delivery room and everything, so it’s just hard to not think about your parents there.”

Steve and Ashley said they weren’t told why their parents were detained and aren’t sure what will happen next, but they both have faith.

“They might get sent back. They might not,” Steve said. “The only person that knows is up there.”