ICE Frees Wife of Army Sergeant Held During Immigration Appointment

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released the wife of an active-duty American soldier and Afghanistan veteran after she spent nearly a month in federal immigration detention, a case that sparked criticism from advocacy groups and lawmakers across the United States.

Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of U.S. Army Sgt. Jose Serrano, was released Thursday evening from an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas. Serrano, who has served in the military for 27 years and completed three deployments to Afghanistan, confirmed her release after weeks of public appeals and media attention.

Rivera Ortega, originally from El Salvador, was arrested on April 14 during an immigration appointment tied to her efforts to obtain permanent residency in the United States. According to her husband, she had attended the appointment as part of an application for “Parole in Place,” a program designed to help undocumented spouses and relatives of U.S. military personnel adjust their immigration status.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Rivera Ortega was released under supervision conditions that include wearing a GPS monitoring device, mandatory home visits, and regular ICE check-ins while her immigration case continues through the legal process.

Speaking after reuniting with his wife, Serrano described the moment as emotional and said he had nearly lost hope during her detention. The case attracted national attention after veterans’ groups, immigration advocates, and lawmakers argued that military families should receive greater protections from deportation actions.

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran, said she personally contacted Homeland Security officials to advocate for Rivera Ortega’s release after learning about the case from advocacy organizations.

Rivera Ortega reportedly entered the United States in 2016 and had previously received legal protection preventing her deportation to El Salvador. Her husband said she also possessed a valid work permit before her arrest.

The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of immigration enforcement policies affecting military families under the Trump administration’s expanded deportation campaign. Immigration advocates say recent detentions involving relatives of service members have raised concerns about morale within the armed forces and the treatment of immigrant military families.