‘This is heartbreaking’: USS Abraham Lincoln sailor says he is struggling to work 12-hour days after father detained by ICE

The father of a US Navy sailor deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Key West, Florida, on Saturday, August 22, according to his family.

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was detained shortly after 11 a.m. ET after leaving his home to take his car to a mechanic, his wife, Argelia Aviles, told the Associated Press. His stepdaughter, Katty Delgado, also confirmed his detention to NBC News.

Aviles, who is originally from Nicaragua, has lived in the United States for nearly 20 years and works as a handyman in Key West. His wife said he has a permit to work in the country.


The detention came as his son, Joshua Aviles, remains deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Joshua said he has been at sea in the Middle East for more than nine months and was informed about his father’s detention while serving aboard the aircraft carrier.

In a Facebook post, Joshua Aviles said he had been deployed for more than nine months aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, adding, “fighting for a country that has given me everything.”

He said he then received a call informing him that his father had been detained by ICE.

“If you know my dad, you know he is a hardworking, humble man who is always willing to help anyone if he can,” Aviles wrote. He also said his father had “his driver’s license, Social Security card, and work permit,” and that the family had been working through the immigration process while waiting for his green card to be approved.

USS Abraham Lincoln sailor father detained: Sailor says it’s ‘heartbreaking’

Joshua described the news as particularly difficult while he remains deployed and working long hours aboard the ship.

“This is heartbreaking for me. 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. My dad’s only “crime” was coming to this country to give my siblings and me a better life.”

He said his family had been pursuing the immigration process and was waiting for his father's green card to be approved.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for more than 9 months, operating in the Middle East. The ship has also been at the center of concerns over the conditions faced by service members and their families after its deployment extended beyond its originally scheduled end date.

Border Patrol arrests military parent: DHS defends detention

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the enforcement action, saying that having a relative serving in the military does not exempt someone from immigration laws.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the agency told as quoted by NBC News.

“Military service by an immediate relative does not automatically grant parole, lawful status, or immunity from immigration enforcement,” the spokesperson added.