Hutzell: ICE deported a Naval Academy midshipman’s mother. We need families like theirs.

I don’t know what David Garcia will do now that ICE has deported his mother to Mexico.

If this Naval Academy plebe were to say “to hell with defending America” and withdraw from Annapolis, I think some would understand.

I hope he decides to stay.

This nation will need Garcia and others like him — members of families torn apart by President Donald Trump’s cruel immigration purge — once this madness ends.

“I proudly nominated David Garcia to the U.S. Naval Academy because of his academic excellence and commitment to service,” U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas said in a statement. “He began as a midshipman this summer.”

As Garcia entered his second week of classes, his mother went to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in San Antonio for an interview.

Maria Rocio Rocha had been living in Texas under “parole in place,” which allows some family members of citizens to apply for residency after entering the United States without legal authorization. But under Trump’s immigration policy, those rules no longer apply.

ICE agents arrested her and sent her to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, known as the Dilley trailer prison, Castro said. It’s a sprawling facility in South Texas that holds up to 20,000 people facing immigration charges.

“She was doing everything the right way,” Castro said. “The Trump administration is targeting military families and leaving a dark stain on our nation.”

Castro said he called Garcia on Sept. 2 to inform him that ICE had deported his mother to Mexico.

The next day, plebes like Garcia took part in a Naval Academy fall ritual — the first formal parade of the year, a full-dress ceremony on Worden Field attended by family, military brass and civilian dignitaries.

“She raised a bright young man with good character who is serving our nation,” Castro wrote on social media. “She was in the process of getting a green card and was doing everything the right way.

“Maria should be home, not torn apart from her family and life.”

Trump convinced many Americans that he would remove dangerous criminals who were in the country illegally and improve border security. No matter what you thought of his campaign promises, what he delivered is far different.

The Associated Press examined immigration arrests under Trump and found that the administration is routinely detaining spouses and family members of men and women in the military.

It is part of a rollback of citizenship opportunities long granted to people enlisting in the military, a path that also shielded specific family members from immigration enforcement.

The administration has revoked the legal status of immigrants in the country under Biden-era parole programs while awaiting hearings.

Thousands of Haitian residents of Maryland face deportation because their Temporary Protected Status was revoked, a fate that awaits 20,000 more people here if the same protections are revoked for immigrants from El Salvador. Last week in Frederick, federal agents clashed with protesters outside a home they attempted to enter.

There is no guarantee that if Democrats take Congress in November — itself no sure thing — this will end. In June, Trump signed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill to continue his crackdown.

But it will end eventually because every deportation like that of Garcia’s mother can tip public opinion more against the policy’s architects.

About half the country supported the idea a year ago, but that has dropped to 35% in recent polling. Eventually, I believe, the American people will do the right thing.

Immigration reform must follow the end of this cruelty.

If Midshipman Garcia graduates in 2030 and then completes his eight years of service, he’ll join a community of alumni that is highly influential in American life.

Academy graduates go on to hold elected roles, as governors and members of Congress. They find jobs in the private sector as chief executive officers, project engineers and managers in corporations like General Dynamics, Amazon and Google.

Immigration reform won’t be easy. But those hurt most by the current policy must play a leading role in defining what that means.

Yes, there has to be border security, but there also has to be an equitable way for people to pursue opportunities in our country.

Parts of Maryland’s economy are reliant on guest worker visas to keep running. The larger U.S. economy has the same needs.

Construction, agriculture, and hospitality are the hardest-hit sectors, but a ripple effect extends beyond those fields.

It’s not just about economics. It’s about who we are as a society.

We are a nation of immigrants, and their capacity for reinvention is among the greatest engines of our society. My ancestors came here because of war in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, seeking better lives for descendants like me.

We have succumbed to immigration purges before. Policies in the 19th and 20th centuries repatriated or severely limited immigration from Asia, Southern Europe, Mexico and Russia.

When we recover from the madness of the current purge, amnesty for those unjustly deported must be part of the solution.

There must also be a path to citizenship or permanent residency, not only for those who serve in the military but also for those who build productive, law-abiding lives here and their families.

I haven’t spoken with Garcia. He’s behind the wall that divides the academy from the rest of Annapolis, and must be conscious of the risks under Trump’s leadership for those in uniform who speak out in criticism.

He can withdraw from the academy at any time during the first two years without penalty. I hope his mother is safe. I hope he has friends urging him to stay — to be part of some future solution.

We need the David Garcias of tomorrow to help this country move past the pain of today.

“You’ve got this young man who is serving his country, who absolutely represents the best of us — his mom that was doing everything right, as they say — and still, Donald Trump and his administration ... are targeting them,” Castro said.