A U.S. Navy sailor’s father was detained by ICE in Florida while the son served aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, sparking outcry over immigration enforcement’s impact on military families. Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a Nicaraguan immigrant with a work permit and pending green card, was arrested during a traffic stop in Key West, according to multiple outlets.
Joshua Aviles, a U.S. Navy sailor deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, shared his anguish after learning his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, was taken into immigration custody by the U.S. Border Patrol during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida. I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE,
Aviles wrote on Facebook, describing his father as a hardworking, humble man who is always willing to help anyone if he can.
The father, who had lived in the U.S. for 20 years, was detained despite holding a driver’s license, social security card, and work permit, according to the sailor. Aviles, who has been deployed for over nine months, said the news “heartbreaking” and threatened to derail his ability to work 12-hour days.
The Detention and the Sailor’s Reaction
The arrest of Luis Manuel Aviles Roa occurred on Saturday during a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida, as reported by The Guardian and NBC News. Aviles, a Nicaraguan national, was detained by the U.S. Border Patrol and placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending removal proceedings, according to a DHS spokesperson. The agency stated he entered the U.S. illegally, though his family claims he had been in the country for two decades and was awaiting green card approval. We have done everything through immigration to get his green card approved, and we are just waiting,
Aviles said, adding, This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly being treated like a criminal.
Katty Delgado, Aviles’ stepdaughter, told NBC News that her stepfather had no criminal history and was doing everything the right way.
She described the arrest as a “heartbreaking” blow for the family, especially as Joshua Aviles remained deployed at sea. His mind is focused now on ‘Where is my dad? And how is he doing?’
she said. The sailor, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, expressed frustration over the situation in a Facebook post, writing, I’ve been deployed for over nine months, out at sea in the Middle East aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, fighting for a country that has given me everything.
DHS Stance and Legal Framework
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the detention, stating that having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws.
A spokesperson for the agency emphasized that we are simply enforcing the laws passed by Congress,
adding that military service by an immediate relative does not automatically grant parole, lawful status, or immunity from immigration enforcement.
The U.S. A DHS spokesperson told Telemundo that work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.
Military Family Impact and Public Response
Aviles’ situation is part of a larger pattern of ICE detentions affecting service members. Democrats have raised concerns about the chilling effect
on military families, with one letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warning that routine interactions could lead to detention or deportation.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, which left the Middle East on Saturday, had spent over 200 consecutive days at sea, setting a record for the longest deployment without a port call, according to The Guardian.
