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See the full story · 8 sourcesA spokesperson for the DHS stated on Sunday that officers apprehended Luis Manuel Aviles Roa during a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida
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The father of an American sailor serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has been taken into federal immigration custody while his son is deployed in the Middle East, according to a statement posted online by the service member.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated on Sunday that U.S. Border Patrol officers apprehended Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, originally from Nicaragua, during a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida.
Joshua Aviles, the detained man's son, reflected on his situation in a Facebook message: "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."
Relating how he received the news on Saturday, the sailor noted his father possessed a driver's license, Social Security card, and employment authorization. "I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE," he wrote.
Aviles detailed the family's ongoing effort to legalize his father's status, writing: "We have done everything through immigration to get his green card approved, and we are just waiting. 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,"
According to the DHS, Aviles Roa entered the U.S. unlawfully and will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending removal proceedings. "Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws," the agency said.
President Donald Trump has defended the immigration measures as vital to domestic security. However, civil rights advocates contend the policies infringe on free speech and due process rights, exacerbating racial profiling concerns among ethnic minorities.
The aircraft carrier left the Middle East on Saturday after remaining at sea for more than 200 consecutive days without port access—a modern record that prompted inquiries from Democratic lawmakers after family complaints about shipboard conditions.
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