A Key West resident, Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents on a Saturday and is currently in ICE custody pending deportation proceedings. His wife, Argelia Aviles, stated that her husband, a handyman who has held a permit to work in the United States for 19 years, was taken into custody after leaving their home to take his car to a mechanic.

The arrest occurred while Aviles' son, Joshua Aviles, is nearing the end of an extended deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The Navy vessel set a U.S. military record for uninterrupted time at sea, raising concerns about potential supply shortages and the mental well-being of its crew. Joshua Aviles, who has reportedly been working 12-hour shifts for over 250 days without a break in the Middle East, learned of his father's detention while still at sea.

"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 treated like a criminal," Joshua Aviles wrote in a Facebook post.

According to his wife, Luis Manuel Aviles had been eagerly anticipating his son's return after a nine-month deployment. She described her husband as a dedicated father who works solely to provide for his family and expressed that he was looking forward to reuniting with his son.

Joshua Aviles joined the military partly with the hope that it would aid his father in obtaining U.S. citizenship and alleviate his fear of arrest, according to his sister, Katherine Delgado. Delgado also shared that being separated from her brother has been difficult, and she has sent him care packages containing food and hygiene products due to reported shortages on the ship.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Aviles' arrest, stating that "Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws." The department emphasized that the administration enforces all laws. The incident occurs amidst reports of the Trump administration rolling back immigration protections for some military families, leading to the detention and deportation of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. service members. The Associated Press reported that at least six such family members have been deported, and one self-deported, though the government does not officially track these cases. The WLRN report highlighted the case of a soldier's wife who was removed from a deportation flight to Brazil following AP's investigation.

Military parole-in-place is a benefit intended to help spouses, children, and parents of active-duty service members and veterans gain legal immigration status from within the U.S. However, eligibility has restrictions, particularly for those who have overstayed visas or previously applied for status at the border. The USS Abraham Lincoln is expected to be brought out of service in the Middle East soon, meaning Joshua Aviles will likely return home without his father.

The situation underscores the complex intersection of military service and immigration policy. For more details on immigration issues in the Keys, readers can refer to WLRN's coverage.