Father of USS Abraham Lincoln sailor detained in US — Fortune
In Key West, Florida, US immigration authorities detained 48-year-old Luis Manuel Aviles, the father of US Navy sailor Joshua Aviles. Joshua has been serving for nine months aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, deployed in the Middle East.
As Fortune reports, Aviles was detained after leaving home to take a car to a mechanic. His wife, Argelia Aviles, said her husband has a US work permit. He is originally from Nicaragua, has lived in the United States for 19 years, and works as a handyman in Key West.
Department of Homeland Security statement
The US Department of Homeland Security said Border Patrol agents detained Luis Aviles on Saturday in Key West. According to the agency, he will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while the government seeks his deportation.
The department said that having a family member in the military does not exempt a person from complying with US laws. The report also says that President Donald Trump's administration is rolling back some immigration protections for military families as part of its mass deportation program.
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One immigration benefit for military families is military parole-in-place. It allows spouses, children, and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain lawful immigration status without leaving the United States. However, this procedure is not available to everyone: restrictions may apply, in particular, to those who overstayed a visa or had previously applied for legalization at the border.
Family reaction
Joshua Aviles wrote on Facebook that he learned about his father's detention on Saturday morning while continuing his service aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. According to him, he has been working shifts lasting more than 12 hours for over 250 days without a break.
The sailor's sister, Catherine Delgado, said Joshua joined the military partly hoping it would improve his father's chances of obtaining US citizenship so that he would no longer live in fear of arrest. She said the ship on which her brother serves is expected to soon be withdrawn from the Middle East deployment area. She fears Joshua may return home without his father.
