Father of USS Lincoln Sailor Freed After Brief Immigration Detention

Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was released from immigration detention on Monday after an immigration judge dismissed his case only hours after he was booked in Miami. Aviles, a handyman from Key West, Florida, has lived in the United States for 19 years and holds a work permit. He was arrested on Saturday while 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. The Navy confirmed Joshua Aviles’ service and described his duties as physically demanding, including moving aircraft on the ship.

The arrest occurred amid a broader scrutiny of immigration enforcement actions involving family members of military personnel, prompting a congressional inquiry into Department of Homeland Security practices. Margaret Stock, an immigration attorney who represents military families, described the rapid filing and dismissal of charges as “super unusual.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the reasons for the arrest or the swift release. Joshua Aviles posted on Facebook that his father had been released, and noted his own 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.