Key West, Fla. – Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Saturday while leaving his home to take his car to a mechanic. Aviles, a Nicaraguan‑born handyman who has lived in the United States for 19 years, holds a legal work permit, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles.
Family ties to the Navy
Aviles’ son, Joshua, is a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently on a nine‑month deployment in the Middle East. Joshua posted on Facebook that he was “fighting for a country that has given me everything” when he learned his father had been detained. The deployment has already raised concerns about long‑term sea duty, food shortages and mental‑health strain for crew members.
Immigration policy at the center
The arrest comes amid a broader federal push to tighten immigration rules for families of active‑duty service members. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Aviles will remain in ICE custody while officials consider removal proceedings. A DHS statement read, “Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” and noted that the current administration does not “pick and choose which laws to enforce.”
Military “parole‑in‑place” allows certain spouses, children and parents of service members to obtain legal status, but eligibility is limited. Those who have overstayed visas or previously applied for status at a border may be excluded, according to the policy.
Impact on the family
Argelia Aviles, 47, described her husband as a devoted father who works hard to provide for his children. “He dedicates himself only to work so he can put food on the table at home. He is a good father. He loves his children with all his soul,” she said.
Joshua’s sister, Katherine Delgado, 28, said her brother enlisted hoping it would improve their father’s chances of citizenship and end the fear of arrest. She added that she has been sending care packages to the ship, many of which never arrived, and that the family is anxiously awaiting Joshua’s return when the carrier is scheduled to leave the Middle East.
Broader context
Recent reporting by the Associated Press identified at least six family members of active‑duty troops who have been deported and one who self‑deported. The federal government does not maintain a comprehensive count of such detentions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously described conditions aboard the USS Lincoln as “completely misrepresented,” but the Pentagon declined to comment further on the immigration case.
The case highlights the tension between immigration enforcement and the long‑standing tradition of supporting military families, a topic that continues to draw attention from both policymakers and community advocates.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
