USS Lincoln sailor’s father arrested by ICE during nine-month deployment

Luis Manuel Aviles Roa was arrested in Key West, Florida, during a traffic stop, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Roa, who is originally from Nicaragua, was carrying his driver’s license, Social Security card, and work permit at the time of his arrest, according to his son, Joshua Aviles.“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,” Aviles wrote on social media. Aviles described learning of his father’s detention as “heartbreaking.”“I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE,” he wrote. “We have done everything through immigration to get his green card approved, and we are just waiting. This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour day[s].”DHS, however, said Roa had entered the United States illegally and would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” DHS said.The detention comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln has spent nearly nine months deployed in the Middle East, where it has supported U.S. operations during the war with Iran.The carrier has also become a focal point of growing concerns among military families over the length and conditions of the deployment.USS LINCOLN TURMOIL UNDERSCORES REPUBLICANS’ IRAN VULNERABILITIESThe Abraham Lincoln set a modern Navy record for the longest uninterrupted period at sea without a port visit. The carrier was originally expected to return home in June, but its deployment was extended as the war with Iran continued. Details of crew members facing mental health challenges as a result of the lengthy deployment have been reported.The USS George Washington arrived last week to take over the Abraham Lincoln’s role in the region, including U.S. efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has sought to prevent Iran from using the critical waterway to export oil, while U.S. forces have also escorted commercial ships traveling through the strait.