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

U.S. Navy sailor Joshua Aviles says his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, was arrested by immigration officials while Joshua was aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, according to a Facebook post on Saturday. The sailor learned of his father's arrest via a phone call, stating that his father is a hardworking, humble man who always helps others. The arrest has left Joshua struggling to continue his demanding 12+ hour workdays.

Joshua's father, a native of Nicaragua, was reportedly arrested by Border Patrol during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida, on Saturday. He was reportedly found to have entered the U.S. illegally. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest, noting that Luis Manuel remains in custody and faces deportation proceedings. They stated that having a family member in the military does not exempt one from enforcing immigration laws.

The arrest of a U.S. military family member is the latest in a series of enforcement operations over the past year and a half, with immigration arrests of military spouses and parents becoming more common under the current administration. Joshua Aviles' father's arrest comes as the USS Lincoln has been on an extended deployment in the Middle East, returning to the U.S. last week.