Luis Manuel Aviles, left, and son Joshua Aviles stand outside their home shortly before Joshua was deployed on the USS Lincoln (File pic)
The father, of a US sailor who spent more than nine months aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during the Iran war, was taken into federal immigration detention in Florida, the sailor said, adding to concerns surrounding the carrier and its crew after an unusually long deployment.US Border Patrol arrested Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, originally from Nicaragua, during a vehicle stop in Key West, Florida, the Department of Homeland Security said. His son, Joshua Aviles, said his father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while awaiting approval of his green card, reported Reuters.“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 said in a Facebook post.“I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE,” he added, saying his father had a driver’s licence, Social Security card and work permit. “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.”DHS alleged that Aviles Roa had entered the US illegally and would remain in ICE detention pending removal proceedings. “Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the department said.The detention comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment has drawn scrutiny over conditions for its sailors. The carrier left the Middle East on Saturday after more than 200 consecutive days at sea, a modern-day record, according to Democratic lawmakers who said they were seeking answers after sailors’ families raised concerns about worsening conditions aboard the ship.The Lincoln’s prolonged deployment came during the Iran war, with the carrier operating in the Middle East for more than nine months and reportedly making no port call during the period. Rights groups have meanwhile criticised the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown over alleged due-process violations and concerns about racial profiling.
