Immigration and Customs Enforcement has released a U.S. Navy sailor’s father from detention after the service member publicly shared his distress while aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is set to dock next week in Thailand after a record-breaking deployment.
The news was shared by Navy airman Joshua Aviles on Facebook Tuesday. He said that his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a handyman and Nicaraguan national living in Florida, had been “released back to our family.”
His return comes days after Joshua Aviles and other relatives went public with Aviles Roa’s case, saying he had a Social Security number, a driver’s license, a work permit and was in the process of obtaining a green card.
“We are grateful for all of the support for both Luis and Josh throughout this situation,” Joshua Aviles’ post said. “At this moment, our family is taking time to be together. While we await the return of our proud Navy sailor, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect.”
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ICE detained Aviles Roa after a traffic stop in Key West, Florida, Saturday, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed earlier this week. The spokesperson added that “having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws.”
DHS did not immediately return a request for comment on Aviles Roa’s release.
Federal immigration authorities have detained more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty military members since President Donald Trump’s return to office, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. The federal government had previously considered a noncitizen’s family ties to a service member when conducting deportation proceedings — a policy that has been reversed under the Trump administration, according to the National Military Family Association.
Aviles, who has been deployed for over nine months on the beleaguered aircraft carrier, wrote on the day of his father’s detention that he was unsure how he could manage to work long hours “knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly being treated like a criminal.”
His post came amid public outcry over reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the Lincoln, which was relieved by the USS George Washington after viral reports of food shortages, sewage backups and declining morale among those on board.
“Dad, I don’t know where you are right now, but know that I am doing everything I can to bring you back home,” Aviles wrote Saturday. “I love you with all my heart. Please stay strong. I’m coming home, Dad.”
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