Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, the immigrant father of a U.S. Navy sailor deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, was taken into federal immigration detention in Key West, Florida, on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the Border Patrol arrest, stating he entered the country illegally and faces removal proceedings.
Federal immigration authorities arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa during a traffic stop in Key West on Sunday. The arrest occurred near a local supermarket as he was heading to a mechanic, according to his stepdaughter, Katty Delgado. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him for removal proceedings, setting off a wave of emotional fallout for his family, particularly his son Joshua Aviles, who was serving thousands of miles away at sea.
A Sailor’s Call From the USS Abraham Lincoln
Joshua Aviles learned of his father’s arrest through a family phone call while on his ninth month of deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The warship had been operating in the Middle East during the conflict with Iran, completing a historic stretch at sea. The carrier spent more than 200 consecutive days without a port call, breaking the modern-day Navy record for time spent at sea without pulling into a port. Families and Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about deteriorating conditions and crew morale during the prolonged deployment amid the Iran war operations.
“I’ve been deployed for over nine months, out at sea in the Middle East aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, fighting for a country that has given me everything.”
Joshua Aviles, U.S. Navy sailor, via Facebook
In the same post, Joshua Aviles described the severe mental strain he faced working 12-hour days while knowing his father was in federal custody pending deportation proceedings. Family members emphasized that the elder Aviles maintained a driver’s license, Social Security card, and work permit, and that they had an ongoing application to secure his green card after roughly two decades living in the United States without an arrest history.
Department of Homeland Security Enforcement Stance
The Department of Homeland Security defended the detention, noting that Luis Manuel Aviles Roa entered the country illegally and must go through the standard removal process managed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws. We are simply enforcing the laws passed by Congress. This Administration does not pick and choose which laws to enforce.”
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, via NBC News
Federal officials added that holding a work permit or having a pending immigration application does not confer legal status in the United States.
Broader Crackdown on Military Families
The arrest reflects an expanding federal immigration crackdown under the second Trump administration that has increasingly affected military households. These enforcement actions have sparked pushback from advocacy organizations and Democratic lawmakers, who argue the operations undermine military readiness and community trust by creating a chilling effect for families accessing base services.
As the USS Abraham Lincoln officially departed the Middle East to begin its multi-week journey back to the West Coast, Joshua Aviles prepared for his return while grappling with his father’s uncertain legal status inside the immigration detention system.
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