Father of USS Lincoln sailor released from immigration detention

Luis Manuel Aviles, the father of a U.S. Navy sailor deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, was released from immigration detention on Tuesday after an immigration judge dismissed his case, according to his family and Department of Justice records Source: AP News. Aviles, a 48-year-old handyman from Nicaragua who has lived in the U.S. for 19 years, was arrested on Saturday in Key West, Florida, while taking his car to a mechanic Source: The Guardian. His son, Joshua Aviles, a sailor aboard the Lincoln, posted on Facebook that his father had been released Source: CNN. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not comment on the arrest or release Source: AP News.

The arrest

Aviles's arrest was part of a broader immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump that has targeted family members of military personnel. DHS initially stated that Aviles entered the U.S. illegally and would remain in custody pending removal proceedings, adding that "having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation's laws" Source: The Guardian. However, an immigration judge dismissed the case on Monday, just hours after Aviles was booked into a Miami detention center Source: AP News. Immigration attorney Margaret Stock called the rapid filing and dismissal "super unusual" Source: CNN.

The USS Lincoln's deployment

The arrest drew attention to the Lincoln's record-breaking deployment, which has lasted over nine months and more than 250 days at sea without a port call, raising concerns about crew morale and living conditions Source: El País. The ship is now heading home after being relieved by the USS George Washington Source: The Guardian. Joshua Aviles said he has been working 12-hour days without a break since the ship left in November Source: AP News.