Father of USS Lincoln Sailor Freed After Unjust Immigration Detention
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Luis Manuel Aviles, a longtime U.S. resident and father of a sailor serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln, was released from federal immigration custody after an unnecessary and punitive arrest in Miami.
Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was finally released from immigration detention on Monday after an immigration judge dismissed his case just hours after he was unjustly booked in Miami. Aviles, a hardworking handyman from Key West, Florida, has contributed to the United States for 19 years and holds a work permit, yet was still targeted and arrested on Saturday while simply taking his car to a mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia Aviles.
Aviles is the father of Joshua Aviles, an enlisted sailor serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Middle East for nine months—a clear example of how even families of those serving the country are not spared from the cruelty of the immigration system. The Navy confirmed Joshua Aviles’ service and described his duties as physically demanding, including moving aircraft on the ship.
This arrest occurred amid a broader crackdown on immigrant communities and heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement actions, even involving family members of military personnel. This prompted a congressional inquiry into the Department of Homeland Security’s harsh and often arbitrary practices. Margaret Stock, an immigration attorney who represents military families, described the rapid filing and dismissal of charges as “super unusual,” highlighting the dysfunction and injustice in the system.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the reasons for the arrest or the swift release, demonstrating a lack of transparency and accountability. Joshua Aviles posted on Facebook that his father had been released, and noted his own grueling workload of 12-hour days without a break since the Lincoln left U.S. waters in November. The ship is scheduled to be relieved by another vessel and return to the United States, but the trauma inflicted on the Aviles family by this needless detention remains.