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ICE detains father of USS Lincoln sailor deployed to Iran war

Key West, FloridaPublished 25 Aug 2026

F-18F after launch from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
F-18F after launch from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans. Public domain · source

Border Patrol arrested Nicaraguan-born Luis Manuel Aviles in Key West while his Navy son was on a record-long USS Lincoln deployment. DHS says illegal entry is not excused by a military relative; the sailor and critics say a green-card applicant with a work permit was treated as a criminal.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, a Nicaraguan-born Key West handyman, on Saturday during a vehicle stop while his son, Navy sailor Joshua Aviles, was in a record-long USS Abraham Lincoln deployment tied to the Iran war. DHS said he entered the country illegally and will stay in ICE custody pending removal, adding that a military relative is not a free pass. Family members say he has lived in the U.S. about 19–20 years, holds a work permit and other IDs, and is waiting on a green-card application. Joshua posted that he got the news at sea and does not know how to keep working 12-hour days while his father may be treated like a criminal.

Shared facts

A Navy sailor said over the weekend that his father was taken into federal immigration custody.

The sailor was returning from a record-setting USS Abraham Lincoln deployment.

He was serving in Trump's war with Iran when the arrest happened.

He is a 19-year U.S. resident.

Aviles said his father has a driver's license, Social Security card and work permit.

The son had been deployed for over nine months.

He said his father was in the process of getting a green card when he was arrested.

He was working as a handyman when he was detained.

He said he has been working 12-hour days.

DHS confirmed Luis Manuel Aviles Roa had been placed in detention.

DHS said it does not pick and choose which laws to enforce.

A DHS spokesperson said Border Patrol took the Nicaraguan national into custody after a Key West traffic stop on Saturday.

The arrest was in Key West, Florida.

DHS said Aviles entered the U.S. illegally.

The arrest was on Saturday.

DHS said he would remain in ICE detention pending removal proceedings.

He wrote that he is fighting for a country that has given him everything.

Aviles is a Nicaraguan national.

He wrote that he just got a call that ICE took his dad.

DHS said having a military family member is not a free pass to violate U.S. laws.

Rights groups say the crackdown has violated free speech and due process and raised racial-profiling concerns.

Katty Delgado said her stepfather was on his way to the mechanic when Border Patrol arrested him.

The USS Lincoln has been deployed more than 270 days in the war with Iran.

It started heading back to the U.S. last week.

The crew spent more than 200 days without a port visit, a record.

Sailors and families raised concerns about food shortages, broken toilets, missing hygiene supplies and declining mental health.

An AP investigation found immigration authorities have taken custody of more than 50 relatives of active-duty troops in Trump's second term.

It said he may not get to see his father after hundreds of days in the Persian Gulf.

Shared opinions

He wrote that it is heartbreaking and he does not know how to keep working 12-hour days while his father may be treated like a criminal.

He said his father's only crime was coming to this country to give his children a better life.

CNN

He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him

Associated Press

Published 23 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

The Trump administration is rolling back immigration protections for military families.

Luis Manuel Aviles is 48.

The AP found at least six family members have been deported.

Military parole-in-place lets spouses, children and parents of troops and veterans seek legal status from inside the country.

His son said he has been working 12-hour shifts for more than 250 days without a break.

Not everyone qualifies, including people who overstayed visas or already applied at the border.

The AP found one self-deported.

The government does not track those detentions.

A soldier's wife was taken off a deportation flight to Brazil after AP reporting.

Pete Hegseth previously called Lincoln conditions completely misrepresented.

His sister said Joshua joined in part hoping it would improve his father's chances of citizenship.

Delgado said Joshua is supposed to come home soon.

She pointed to news that the Lincoln will soon be brought out of service in the Middle East.

She said she was told he was not getting enough food.

Delgado said she spent weeks without knowing where Joshua was.

She said she spent hundreds of dollars on care packages, some of which never arrived.

She said he was excited and wanted to hug his son after nine months apart.

His wife said the long deployment has been challenging for Luis Aviles.

She said he was distraught when six months passed and his son did not come back.

The Pentagon referred all questions to the Navy.

The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Opinion

Argelia said he works only to put food on the table at home.

She said he joined so his father would no longer live in fear of being arrested.

Delgado said being apart from Joshua has been devastating.

CBS News

U.S. Navy sailor on USS Lincoln says dad was arrested by immigration officials

Camilo Montoya-Galvez

Published 23 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

DHS did not dispute the family's statement that Aviles lacks a criminal record.

DHS said it is simply enforcing the laws passed by Congress.

Arrests of military spouses and parents have become more common after once being rare.

She said he has told her he is having trouble sleeping and eating.

The second Trump administration rescinded prior limits on ICE and Border Patrol arrests.

She said his mind is now on where his dad is and how he is doing.

DHS has said anyone in the country illegally can be arrested and processed for deportation, including military families.

The arrest is among recent immigration actions affecting a U.S. military family.

She said communication with Joshua has been on and off while he is deployed.

The journey home could take several weeks.

The Lincoln has roughly 5,000 crew members.

Opinion

He described his father as a hardworking, humble man who helps others.

The Guardian

Father of USS Lincoln sailor taken into ICE detention while son deployed in Middle East

Reuters

Published 24 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East last week and is expected to relieve the Lincoln.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

U.S. News & World Report

Father of Sailor Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln Taken Into US Immigration Detention

Kanishka Singh

Published 23 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

President Trump says his immigration crackdown is aimed at improving domestic security.

Opinion

No opinion marked.

The New Republic

Navy Sailor Aboard USS Lincoln Learns ICE Took His Dad

Malcolm Ferguson

Published 24 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

Border Patrol detained him outside his Key West home on Saturday.

There have been multiple instances of sailors trying to jump overboard.

Opinion

The New Republic called the USS Lincoln now infamous.

The New Republic said Joshua is tortured by the thought of his father's detention and possible deportation.

NOTUS

Sailor on Nightmare USS Lincoln Deployment Says Border Patrol Arrested His Father

Jackie Llanos

Published 24 Aug 2026 accessed 24 Aug 2026

Facts

DHS said a relative's military service does not automatically grant parole, lawful status or immunity from enforcement.

Opinion

NOTUS described Joshua Aviles's Facebook post as an angry message.

NOTUS described the aircraft carrier as beleaguered.