A U.S. Navy sailor serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln learned that his father had been detained by federal immigration authorities in Key West, Florida, as the sailor approached the end of a months-long deployment at sea.
Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a 48-year-old Nicaraguan immigrant, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol during a vehicle stop in Key West on Saturday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS said Aviles entered the United States illegally and would remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while facing removal proceedings.
His son, Joshua Aviles, said he learned about the detention while working aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE,” Joshua wrote in a Facebook post.
He said his father had a driver’s license, Social Security card and work permit, and that the family had been working through the immigration process while waiting for his green card application to be approved.
“This is heartbreaking for me,” Joshua wrote, adding that he did not know how he could mentally continue working 12-hour shifts while worrying about his father’s whereabouts and treatment.
A Florida family caught between immigration and military service
Family members told news organizations that Aviles has lived in the United States for roughly two decades and worked as a handyman in Key West.
His wife, Argelia Aviles, told The Associated Press that he had left home to take his car to a mechanic when he was arrested. She described him as a hardworking father who was focused on supporting his family.
Katherine Delgado, Joshua’s sister, said the family had no knowledge of a criminal history for Aviles and that he had a pending application for legal status.
The Department of Homeland Security did not say that Aviles had a criminal record. Instead, the agency emphasized that having a relative in the military does not exempt someone from immigration enforcement.
“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” DHS said.
The agency said it was enforcing immigration laws passed by Congress and that Aviles would remain in ICE custody while removal proceedings continue.
The family, meanwhile, says Aviles was trying to obtain legal status and had authorization to work in the United States. Those family claims, and the government’s account of his immigration history, should be kept distinct as the case develops.
His son has been at sea for months
The arrest came as Joshua was entering his ninth month aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The aircraft carrier had spent more than 200 consecutive days at sea during its deployment, setting a modern U.S. military record, according to reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters. The ship recently began its journey back toward the United States.
That makes the timing particularly painful for the family: Joshua was nearing the end of an unusually long deployment while his father was being taken into immigration custody in the Florida Keys.
Joshua said he had been working 12-hour-plus days while deployed and was struggling with the knowledge that his father was detained.
His sister told reporters that Joshua joined the military partly because he believed his service could help improve his father’s future immigration prospects.
The case comes amid broader changes to immigration enforcement involving relatives of U.S. service members. The Associated Press reported that dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty troops have been detained since President Donald Trump’s second term began, as the administration rolled back previous immigration protections for some military families.
What happens next
DHS says Aviles will remain in ICE custody while his removal proceedings move forward. His family’s efforts to obtain legal status and the circumstances surrounding his detention could become clearer as the case proceeds.
For Joshua Aviles, the immediate concern is more personal: getting home to his family and finding out what happens to his father.
“I’m coming home, Dad,” Joshua wrote in his message to his father. “I love you with all my heart.”
