In a recent development, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that the parents of suspects linked to the thwarted explosive incident outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida are undocumented immigrants. This revelation has reignited the debate regarding the potential risks associated with birthright citizenship.
On March 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, the parents of Alen Zheng, who is accused of placing an explosive device near the military base. The arrest of these individuals came soon after the alleged attempt by their son.
The couple’s history in the United States dates back to 1993 when they entered the country illegally and sought asylum. However, their asylum claims were rejected, and an immigration judge ordered them to be deported in 1998. Despite the deportation order, Zou and Zheng continued to reside in the United States for many years while repeatedly failing in their attempts to reopen their case with the Board of Immigration Appeals.
This arrest has brought to light additional dimensions of the case, particularly as the Trump administration emphasizes the national security concerns associated with birthright citizenship. The issue is now poised for consideration by the Supreme Court, highlighting its significance in ongoing discussions about immigration policy.
Ann Mary Zheng, the center figure in the investigation, was also taken into custody upon her return to the U.S., as confirmed by DHS. The situation continues to unfold as authorities delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding the attempted attack on the Tampa-based military installation.
The arrests add a new dimension to the case, as the Trump administration argues it underscores national security risks tied to birthright citizenship, an issue now before the Supreme Court.
Their children — Alen Zheng and his sister, Ann Mary Zheng — were both born in the U.S. and are citizens.
Federal authorities allege Alen Zheng planted an improvised explosive device outside the MacDill Air Force Base visitor center in Tampa on March 10, while his sister later helped cover up the crime.
Prosecutors said Ann Mary Zheng “assisted after the fact” and tampered with evidence to hinder her brother’s arrest.
Federal investigators believe Alen Zheng fled to China and remains there. His sister was arrested after returning to the U.S. through Detroit.
The explosive device, described by officials as potentially “very deadly,” failed to detonate and was discovered six days later by an Air Force airman.
Police officers with the Tampa Police Department block traffic along South Dale Mabry Highway near the main entrance of MacDill Air Force Base, which houses CENTCOM headquarters, after a suspicious package was reported at the gate in Tampa, Florida, on March 16, 2026. (Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)
Investigators later linked the device to materials recovered from Zheng’s home and a burner phone used to place a cryptic 911 call warning about the bomb.
DHS officials said the case highlights broader concerns about immigration enforcement and citizenship laws, as the Supreme Court weighs the scope of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
“Automatically granting citizenship to children of illegal aliens born in the U.S. … poses a major national security risk,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. “This incident underscores the severe national security threat that illegal immigration and birthright citizenship pose to the United States.”
The agency noted that the suspects were born in the United States after their parents entered the country illegally.
President Donald Trump moved to restrict birthright citizenship through an executive order signed on his first day in office, arguing the current interpretation of the Constitution is flawed.
The policy is being challenged in the Supreme Court, setting up a major legal battle over the scope of the 14th Amendment.
President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to listen live to Supreme Court oral arguments Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration said that the outside MacDill Air Force Base incident underscores the dangers of birthright citizenship. (Kent Nishimura / AFP)
Federal prosecutors have charged Alen Zheng with attempted destruction of government property by fire or explosion, as well as weapons-related offenses, which could carry up to 40 years in prison.
Ann Mary Zheng faces charges of accessory after the fact and evidence tampering, with a potential sentence of up to 30 years.
Officials have not publicly identified a motive or confirmed any connection to the Chinese government.
MacDill Air Force Base houses U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command, making it one of the most strategically significant military installations in the country.
