WASHINGTON — A Nicaraguan immigrant taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol agents while his son, a U.S. Navy sailor, was deployed at sea aboard an aircraft carrier during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, was freed from detention, his family said Tuesday.
The family's announcement on Facebook that Luis Manuel Aviles Roa was released came three days after Joshua Aviles went public about his father's arrest, lamenting the heartbreak he felt serving his country while his father was locked away.
In his Facebook post Saturday, Joshua Aviles said his father was picked up by immigration authorities despite having a driver's license, Social Security card and work permit, and had been waiting to obtain a "green card" granting him permanent legal U.S. residency.
"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," the sailor wrote. "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."
People are also reading…
Joshua Aviles, a U.S. sailor deployed in the Middle East during the Iran war, stands next to his immigrant father Luis Manuel Aviles Roa as they pose for a picture in an unknown location in this undated image obtained from social media.
Border Patrol agents arrested the sailor's father after conducting a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS, parent agency of the Border Patrol, said Luis Manuel Aviles Roa entered the U.S. illegally and would remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention pending removal proceedings.
"Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws," the DHS said in its statement Sunday.
But an update posted Tuesday to the son's Facebook account said: "Luis has been released back to his family," adding, "We are grateful for all of the support for both Luis and Josh throughout this situation." No explanation was offered for the change in the father's status.
Neither the DHS nor ICE immediately responded to a Reuters request for comment.
The Abraham Lincoln, which left the Middle East on Saturday, made recent headlines in separate news reports about challenges the crew faced during the ship's lengthy deployment for the Iran war, having not made a port of call in more than 200 days.
Democratic lawmakers say the aircraft carrier set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, an issue that gained national attention after sailors' families raised concerns about worsening conditions on the warship.
