- Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was arrested on Saturday after leaving his house to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia.
- An immigration judge dismissed Aviles's case on Monday, just hours after he was booked into a Miami detention center, according to Department of Justice records.
- Aviles was released from detention following the dismissal of his case.
- Aviles, a handyman in Key West, Florida, has a work permit, is originally from Nicaragua, and has lived in the US for 19 years.
- Joshua, Aviles's son, had been working 12-hour days without a break since the USS Lincoln left US soil in November, and the US navy confirmed Aviles is enlisted aboard the USS Lincoln with physically demanding duties.
- Elected officials recently launched a congressional investigation into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) practice of such arrests.
- Margaret Stock, an immigration attorney for military families, called the rapid succession of filed and dismissed charges “super unusual.”
Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, was released from immigration detention after an immigration judge dismissed his case just hours after his booking in Miami. His arrest occurred on Saturday when he left home to take his car to the mechanic, according to his wife, Argelia.1
Aviles, originally from Nicaragua, has lived in the US for 19 years and holds a work permit. His arrest is part of a broader trend of high-profile immigration actions against the families of enlisted US soldiers, a practice that has drawn scrutiny and led to a congressional investigation into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
His son, Joshua, who serves aboard the USS Lincoln, posted on Facebook about the situation, revealing he has been working 12-hour days without a break since the ship's deployment in November. Margaret Stock, an immigration attorney for military families, described the rapid dismissal of charges as “super unusual.” The case highlights the intersection of military service and immigration policy amid ongoing enforcement actions under the previous administration.8
The US Navy confirmed Aviles is enlisted and serves aboard the USS Lincoln, where his duties include moving aircraft on the ship.
“Aviles, a handyman with a work permit, was arrested Saturday while taking his car to the mechanic; his son Joshua had been working 12-hour days since the USS Lincoln left in November. An immigration attorney called the rapid dismissal 'super unusual' as officials launched a congressional investigation into DHS arrests.”
The Guardian
