By Kanishka Singh and Steve Gorman
WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (Reuters) – 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 on Tuesday.
The family’s announcement on Facebook that Luis Manuel Aviles Roa had been 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 on 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.”
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 had 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 on Sunday.
But an update posted on 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 have said 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.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
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