U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) releases the wife of active-duty U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jose Serrano after she spends about a month in immigration detention, Serrano tells multiple outlets. CBS News and The Hill identify the released detainee as Deisy Rivera Ortega, Serrano’s wife. Serrano says she is detained despite being in the process of attending an immigration appointment that was intended to protect military spouses from deportation. Reports state Ortega is arrested at an immigration office in El Paso, Texas, on April 14, and later remains in ICE custody for roughly one month before being released.
Serrano speaks about reuniting with his wife after her release, and says he is concerned she could still face deportation even after being freed from custody. The accounts also describe Ortega’s detention as a difficult ordeal for the couple while Serrano remains an active-duty service member and Afghanistan war veteran. Lawmakers’ offices, including Senator Tammy Duckworth’s, are also mentioned as having been involved in communicating about the situation, according to The Hill.
