Immigrant dad of USS Lincoln sailor is released from ICE detention

The immigrant father of a sailor who is on board the beleaguered USS Abraham Lincoln is back with his family on Tuesday after being detained by immigration authorities over the weekend.

The family confirmed the release of Luis Manuel Aviles in a statement posted on social media by his son Joshua Aviles, a Navy handling airman. Joshua Aviles has been deployed on the aircraft carrier for nine months, which is considered a U.S. military record for uninterrupted time at sea.

“Luis has been released back to our family. We are grateful for all of the support for both Luis and Josh throughout this situation. At this moment, our family is taking time to be together. While we await the return of our proud Navy sailor, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect,” the statement reads.

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the release of Luis Manuel Aviles.

DHS confirmed over the weekend that Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles on Saturday during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida, where the family lives. The agency said he entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location and was being held in ICE custody.

Originally from Nicaragua, Luis Manuel Aviles, 47, has been living in the U.S. for 20 years. He’s mostly worked as a handyman for hotels in Key West, according to his youngest son, Luis Aviles, and stepdaughter, Katty Delgado.

In an interview with Noticias Telemundo on Sunday, Luis Aviles said his father “never hid, he always did things the right way,” adding that he was working toward getting legal status and had complied with his paperwork and visits to ICE’s offices.

Delgado told NBC News on Saturday that her stepfather had a work permit, a Social Security card, a driver’s license and an active asylum case. Joshua Aviles, along with another family member, had filed immigration petitions requesting he remain in the country legally, according to the family.

Asked to confirm whether Luis Manuel Aviles had a Social Security number, a work permit or pending immigration cases, as his family indicated, DHS said in an email on Sunday, “Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws.”

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

The immigration detention of Luis Manuel Aviles gained national attention after his son, Joshua Aviles, posted about it on Facebook on Saturday while on board the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“I just got a call that my dad was taken 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,” the post reads. “We have done everything through immigration to get his green card approved, and we are just waiting.”

The post continues: “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.”

The Navy said Saturday that the Lincoln had officially left the Middle East en route to the West Coast, a journey that could take a month or more.