US Army Sergeant's Wife Detained by ICE During Immigration Appointment

Unexpected Detention During Immigration Meeting

A sergeant in the US Army, who has dedicated 27 years to service, including deployments in Afghanistan, is struggling to comprehend the recent arrest of his wife by ICE. Jose Serrano, 51, shared with CBS News that his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega, was apprehended on April 14 while attending a scheduled immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas, which he believed was a standard procedure for her immigration case.

Rivera Ortega, who has been married to Serrano since 2022, has resided in the United States since 2016. In 2019, she was granted protection under the Convention Against Torture by an immigration judge, which prevents her from being deported to El Salvador due to potential dangers there. She held a valid work permit and was employed at two hotels within Fort Bliss.

Despite this legal protection, the Department of Homeland Security claims she entered the country unlawfully years ago and is still subject to a deportation order. Serrano revealed that ICE informed his wife of the possibility of being deported to a third country, like Mexico, despite her having no connections there. “I don’t really understand why, because she followed the rules of immigration by the T since day one,” Serrano expressed. “I love the Army. The Army helped me out for almost 28 years. It’s not the Army, it’s ICE. ICE is out of control right now.”

Born in Puerto Rico, Serrano mentioned that this ordeal has severely impacted his mental well-being. He has a history of traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and depression, and since his wife's detention, he has been sleeping only two hours each night. They had applied for Parole in Place, which offers deportation protection and potential pathways to legal status for spouses of active-duty military personnel. Serrano stated that he had made ICE aware of his military status before his wife's arrest, yet they proceeded with the detention.

As of Sunday evening, Rivera Ortega remained at ICE’s processing center in El Paso. Her attorney, Matthew Kozik, a former Army judge advocate and combat veteran, has filed a habeas petition in federal court, labeling the detention as “absurd.” Advocacy groups for military families report that incidents like this are increasingly frequent under the current administration. Historically, ICE has exercised discretion regarding immediate family members of service members, but these protections seem to be diminishing. Serrano fears that if his wife is deported to Mexico, he may not be able to see her without jeopardizing his military career, as service members are generally prohibited from traveling there. “We don’t know nobody in Mexico,” he stated. “Plus, as military, we’re not allowed to go to Mexico.”