Luis Manuel Aviles, 48, the father of a US Navy sailor deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, has been released from immigration detention, his family confirmed.

Aviles was arrested on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Key West, Florida, after leaving his home to take his car to a mechanic. His wife, Argelia, stated that Aviles, originally from Nicaragua, has lived in the US for 19 years and holds a permit to work legally as a handyman.

His detention sparked significant backlash after the Associated Press reported that his son, Joshua Aviles, was entering his ninth month deployed in the Middle East aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The carrier had recently set a US military record for uninterrupted time at sea, raising concerns about supply shortages and the mental health of those serving onboard. Joshua shared on Facebook that he had been working 12-hour days without a break since the ship left US soil in November 2025.

Aviles's arrest is part of a series of high-profile immigration detentions targeting immediate family members of enlisted US soldiers, actions linked to former President Donald Trump's stringent immigration policies. In response to these practices, elected officials have launched a congressional investigation into the Department of Homeland Security's enforcement methods.

An immigration judge dismissed Aviles's case on Monday, August 24, 2026, just hours after he was booked into a Miami immigration detention center, according to Department of Justice records.

Sources