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Detention in Key West
Luis Manuel Aviles, the immigrant father of U.S. sailor Joshua Aviles aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, was taken into federal immigration detention after U.S. Border Patrol arrested him following a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida, the Department of Homeland Security said Sunday.
“I've been deployed for over nine months, out at sea in the Middle East aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln”
Reuters reported that Aviles’ son wrote on Facebook, "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," after he received a call that his father was taken by ICE.
The DHS said Aviles entered the U.S. illegally and would remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending removal proceedings, adding, "Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws."
The AP said Aviles was arrested after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, and it described his wife Argelia Aviles as saying he has a permit to work in the United States.
The AP also said Joshua Aviles was entering his ninth month aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a vessel that set a U.S. military record for uninterrupted time at sea, as the ship was deployed in the Middle East to engage in the war with Iran.
Family reactions and DHS line
Joshua Aviles told CBS News that he learned his father was arrested by federal immigration officials while on his ninth month aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and he wrote, "I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE."
CBS News quoted the Department of Homeland Security confirming that Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a native of Nicaragua, was arrested by Border Patrol during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida, and that he remained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody facing deportation proceedings.
CBS News also reported that the DHS said, "(h)aving a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws," while Katty Delgado told CBS News her stepfather was on his way to the mechanic when he was arrested.
The Killeen Daily Herald described Argelia Aviles as saying her husband, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a permit to work in the United States, and it quoted her saying, "He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home."
The Killeen Daily Herald further said Joshua Aviles wrote on Facebook that he has been working 12-hour work shifts for more than 250 days without a break on the USS Lincoln, and it noted the Pentagon referred questions to the Navy.
Broader crackdown and next steps
The Reuters report tied Aviles’ detention to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying the DHS stated the father would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings while the administration pursued its enforcement agenda.
“work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.”
NBC News said the DHS spokesperson told Telemundo that "work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States," after the family indicated Aviles had a work permit, a Social Security card, and a driver’s license.
NBC News also said relatives of sailors on board the carrier described reports of deteriorating conditions and morale, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said claims about the situation on board have been "completely misrepresented."
The Christian Science Monitor described how the Trump administration’s use of the U.S. military to aid immigration enforcement has expanded, saying "National defense areas" cover somewhere between one-third and one-half of the length of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
It added that Joint Task Force-Southern Border reported making 161 "temporary detentions" in NDAs, while the Border Patrol made around 9,300 apprehensions in July alone, as the administration argued the armed forces can stop people "just outside" those zones as well.