Father of Navy Sailor Deployed on USS Abraham Lincoln Released From ICE Detention

Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, The father of a sailor deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has been released from immigration detention days after his arrest drew national attention due to his son being at sea for a nine-month deployment.

The family of Luis Manuel Aviles Roa told CBS News he was released on Tuesday. His son, Joshua, confirmed the release in a statement posted on Facebook.

“Luis has been released back to our family,” the statement said. “We are grateful for all of the support for both Luis and Josh throughout this situation. At this moment, our family is taking time to be together.”

Department of Justice records show an immigration judge dismissed the deportation case Monday evening, just hours after he was booked. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Military.com.

Aviles Roa, 47, was arrested Saturday in Key West, Florida, where he lives. His wife told the Associated Press he was detained after leaving home to take his car to a mechanic, while DHS said Border Patrol arrested him during a traffic stop.

Circumstances surrounding Aviles Roa’s immigration status remain disputed. His family said Aviles Roa, who is originally from Nicaragua, has lived in the United States for about 20 years.

He holds a work permit, a Social Security card and a driver’s license. NBC News said he has an active asylum case, and the family said relatives also filed immigration petitions on his behalf.

DHS has said Aviles Roa entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location. The agency has not addressed the family’s account of his work authorization or his asylum case.

Staying Strong at Sea

Joshua Aviles, a Navy aviation handler, learned of his father’s detention while deployed aboard the Lincoln, where he has served for roughly nine months—a stretch the Navy has described as a record for uninterrupted time at sea.

“I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE,” he wrote in the original Facebook post. “If you know my dad, you know he is a hardworking, humble man who is always willing to help anyone if he can.” In a later post, he described the strain of continuing to work at sea. “I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12-plus hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly being treated like a criminal,” he wrote.

Credit: NAVCENT Public Affairs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

His father’s detention wouldn’t be the only one. A day before Aviles Roa’s release, ICE deported the wife of an active-duty Army sergeant to Honduras.

Joshua Aviles’ deployment aboard the Lincoln was extended by the war against Iran. The carrier has been the subject of reports of shortages of food, water and supplies, as well as low morale. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has characterized these reports as “completely misrepresented.”

In their statement, the family asked for privacy as they await Joshua’s return.