The father of a U.S. sailor serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has been taken into federal immigration detention, according to the sailor, who said his family had been waiting for his father’s green card to be approved.
Reuters reported on Monday that U.S. Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a Nicaraguan national, during a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida. The Department of Homeland Security said Aviles Roa had entered the United States illegally and would remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention while facing removal proceedings.
His son, Joshua Aviles, said he had been deployed for more than nine months aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East during the war with Iran. In a Facebook post, he said he was informed that his father had been taken into custody while he was serving at sea.
Joshua said his father had a driver’s licence, Social Security card and work permit, and that the family had completed the immigration process needed for his green card and was awaiting approval. He described the detention as heartbreaking and said it was difficult to continue working long hours while worrying about his father’s situation.
The Department of Homeland Security said military service by a family member did not exempt someone from U.S. immigration law. The department said Aviles Roa would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
The case comes amid the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which the government says is intended to strengthen national security. Rights groups and critics have raised concerns about due process and the treatment of immigrant communities, including allegations of racial profiling.
The detention also comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln returns from an unusually long deployment. The aircraft carrier spent more than 200 consecutive days at sea without making a port call, a modern-era record that has prompted concerns from sailors’ families and Democratic lawmakers about deteriorating conditions aboard the ship.
The case highlights the difficult circumstances facing military families as the administration intensifies immigration enforcement while service members remain deployed overseas.
