Archive · 24 Aug 2026
Navy Sailor Says Father Detained During Extended Middle East Deployment
Joshua Aviles is a sailor serving on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
While he was away at sea, he learned that immigration officials had detained his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa.
Officials arrested his father during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida.
The Department of Homeland Security said Aviles Roa had entered the United States illegally and would face deportation proceedings.
Joshua said his father had a driver’s license, a Social Security card, and a work permit.
He also said the family was waiting for approval of his father’s green card.
Joshua described the arrest as heartbreaking and said he was working long days while deployed.
DHS said having a family member in the military does not exempt someone from immigration laws.
Rights groups have argued that the administration’s immigration crackdown harms due-process rights and ethnic minorities.
Joshua Aviles said Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained his father while he was deployed aboard USS Abraham Lincoln.
United States Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida, on August 22.
The Department of Homeland Security said Aviles Roa entered the United States illegally and faces removal proceedings.
Aviles said his father had identification and a work permit while the family awaited approval of his green card.
DHS said military family ties do not exempt people from immigration laws, while rights groups criticized the broader crackdown.
- Who
- U.S. Navy sailor Joshua Aviles, his father Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, the Department of Homeland Security, United States Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- What
- Aviles Roa was detained by immigration authorities and placed in ICE custody while facing removal proceedings.
- When
- The arrest occurred on August 22; Aviles discussed it in a Facebook post published on Saturday or Sunday local time, according to the accounts.
- Where
- The arrest occurred during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida; Aviles was deployed aboard USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East.
- Why
- DHS said Aviles Roa had entered the United States illegally and that officials were enforcing federal immigration laws; Aviles said his family was awaiting green-card approval.
Family and Rights Groups
Department of Homeland Security
Aviles Roa’s circumstances
Family and Rights Groups
Aviles described his father as hardworking and humble, said he had identification and a work permit, and said the family was waiting for green-card approval. Rights groups have raised concerns about due process and racial profiling under the broader crackdown.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS said Aviles Roa entered the United States illegally and is subject to removal proceedings. The department did not dispute the family’s claim that he had no criminal record.
Military family considerations
Family and Rights Groups
Aviles said his father’s detention was heartbreaking and made it difficult to continue working 12-hour days while deployed.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS said having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate immigration laws.
Immigration enforcement
Family and Rights Groups
Rights groups said the administration’s crackdown has violated free-speech and due-process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS said it was enforcing laws passed by Congress and that the administration does not choose which laws to enforce.
- Sailor
- Joshua Aviles, serving aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
- Father
- Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, originally from Nicaragua
- Arrest date
- August 22
- Arrest location
- Key West, Florida, during a traffic stop
- Current status
- In Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and facing removal proceedings
- Family’s account
- Aviles said his father had a driver’s license, Social Security card, and work permit
- Deployment
- Aviles said he had been deployed at sea in the Middle East for more than nine months
