Sailor's father arrested by U.S. immigration authorities, service member says

A U.S. Navy sailor deployed in the Middle East expressed heartbreak after his father, an immigrant from Nicaragua, was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities. Joshua Aviles, serving on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, shared on Facebook that his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, was detained by ICE.

“

I have been deployed for more than two months, at sea in the Middle East aboard Abraham Lincoln, fighting for a country that has given me everything. I just received a call that my father was taken by ICE.

Aviles stated his father possessed a driver's license, social security card, and work permit, and that he had been working through the immigration system to obtain a green card. "My heart is breaking. I don't know how I will be able to mentally work over 12 hours a day knowing that my dad is somewhere where he might be treated like a criminal," he wrote.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol, confirmed the arrest. They stated that Aviles Roa was stopped in traffic in Key West, Florida. The department emphasized that "having a family member in the armed forces is not a permission to violate the laws of our country," referring to his alleged illegal entry into the U.S.

“

My heart is breaking. I don't know how I will be able to mentally work over 12 hours a day knowing that my dad is somewhere where he might be treated like a criminal.

The incident occurs amid a broader immigration crackdown initiated by President Donald Trump, aimed at enhancing U.S. security. However, human rights groups have voiced concerns that these measures infringe upon freedom of speech and the right to due process, creating an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities who worry about racial profiling.

“

having a family member in the armed forces is not a permission to violate the laws of our country