Joshua Aviles, a sailor serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, stated Saturday that his father was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aviles, who is currently deployed in the Middle East, posted the information on Facebook, noting that his father was waiting for approval of a green card at the time of the detention.
The detention occurred while Aviles was roughly nine months into a deployment at sea related to the Iran war. Aviles stated his father possesses a driver’s license, Social Security card, and a work permit. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the detention to NBC News on Sunday.
A DHS spokesperson told NBC News that the agency was enforcing laws passed by Congress and that the administration does not choose which laws to enforce. The spokesperson noted that a pending application or work authorization does not confer legal status. Democratic lawmakers reported that under the Trump administration, ICE has arrested 125 veterans and sought to deport at least 282 veterans and their family members.
For the affected service members, these actions may lead to changes in their ability to perform military duties. Aviles reported that the situation affected his mental state during 12-hour shifts while deployed. Democratic lawmakers, in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, stated that such practices could lead service members to avoid military bases, housing offices, or medical care, or potentially leave the military entirely due to concerns over detention.
The knock-on effects include a potential "chilling effect" on recruitment and retention within the Department of Defense. Lawmakers suggested that routine interactions with government services could be avoided by military families fearing similar enforcement actions. The DHS has not indicated a change in policy, maintaining that the agency will continue to enforce existing federal immigration statutes regardless of a person’s military connections or pending applications. Further developments, including potential responses from the targeted federal agencies or changes in enforcement dates, were not reported.