Luis Manuel Aviles, a 48-year-old handyman based in Key West, Florida, was arrested by Border Patrol agents while heading to a mechanic with his vehicle. According to his wife, Argelia Aviles, he possesses a valid work permit and has resided in the United States for 19 years after immigrating from Nicaragua. At the time of his arrest, his son was deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where he had been serving for approximately nine months.
The arrest occurs amid a broader policy shift by the Trump administration that has resulted in the detention and deportation of multiple family members of active-duty U.S. military personnel. An Associated Press investigation identified at least six individuals who have been deported and one who self-deported from similar circumstances. The government does not maintain official statistics on such detentions. One spouse of a U.S. soldier detained for more than a month in federal immigration custody was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil following AP reporting on the issue.
The military offers “military parole-in-place,” an immigration benefit that allows spouses, children, and parents of active-duty service members and veterans to obtain legal status while remaining in the country. However, eligibility is limited; individuals who overstayed visas or previously applied for legal status at the border do not qualify. The Department of Homeland Security stated that Aviles will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody pending deportation proceedings, characterizing military family connections as insufficient grounds for exemption from immigration enforcement.
Aviles’ son, Joshua, reported working 12-hour shifts for more than 250 days consecutively aboard the aircraft carrier, which is deployed in the Middle East. The prolonged deployment has generated concerns about service member welfare, food supply adequacy, and equipment strain. Joshua indicated on social media that learning of his father’s detention during his naval service has caused significant emotional distress. His sister noted that Joshua enlisted partly to improve his father’s path to citizenship and reduce his family’s fears regarding immigration enforcement.
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