US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of active-duty Army Sgt. First Class Jose Serrano, during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas on April 14. According to multiple reports, she is being held at a detention facility despite having legal protections that prevent her deportation to her native El Salvador.
Key Takeaways
ICE detained Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of Army Sgt. First Class Jose Serrano, during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas. She has been held since April 14 despite having legal protections preventing her deportation to El Salvador.
- ICE arrested Deisy Rivera Ortega at an immigration office on April 14.
- She was detained despite a 2019 order granting her protection under the Convention Against Torture.
- DHS plans to deport her to Mexico, where she has no ties.
- Serrano has served in the Army for nearly 28 years, including deployments to Afghanistan.
- This is at least the second instance of a military spouse being detained by ICE this month.
Rivera Ortega entered the US in 2016 and applied for asylum. In December 2019, an immigration judge granted her protection under the Convention Against Torture, which prohibits her deportation to El Salvador due to potential harm. However, she was also ordered deported simultaneously, with that deportation deferred.
Serrano, who has served in the Army for nearly 28 years including deployments to Afghanistan, expressed distress over his wife's detention. 'They just took my wife away,' he told BBC. He noted that Rivera Ortega had an active work permit and followed all immigration rules since her arrival.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Rivera Ortega is a 'criminal illegal alien' due to her conviction for illegally entering the US, a federal misdemeanor. DHS plans to deport her to Mexico under a process known as 'third-country removal,' despite Serrano stating they have no ties to Mexico.
This incident marks at least the second case this month where ICE detained the spouse of an active-duty military member. Earlier in April, Annie Ramos, the wife of Army Sgt. Matthew Blank, was temporarily detained before being released. These cases highlight the Trump administration's expanded deportation policies affecting family members of US service personnel.
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