ICE releases wife of US soldier and Afghanistan veteran from detention

May 15, 2026

Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of US Army Sergeant Jose Serrano who has served nearly 28 years, has been released from ICE detention after being arrested during a scheduled immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas. The couple had been applying for parole-in-place, a program allowing military spouses to remain in the US while their cases proceed, when immigration officials detained Rivera Ortega over documentation issues. She originally entered the US from El Salvador in 2016 and had previously been granted protection from deportation due to torture concerns, though a removal order existed.

Who is affected

Deisy Rivera Ortega (detained wife)
Sgt Jose Serrano (US Army veteran husband, nearly 28 years of service)
The couple's family
Annie Ramos (another military spouse detained in April)
Sergeant Matthew Blank (Annie Ramos's husband)
US military servicemembers with undocumented family members

What action is being taken

Rivera Ortega is being monitored with a GPS tracking device
She is undergoing mandatory home visits
She must attend ICE office check-ins
She is receiving full due process according to DHS

Why it matters

This case highlights tensions between immigration enforcement and treatment of military families, particularly when servicemembers who have sacrificed for the country see their spouses detained. The incident demonstrates how military families following proper legal procedures for immigration status can still face detention, raising concerns about trust in the immigration system. Senator Duckworth characterized detaining military spouses who are attempting to legalize their status as "the highest betrayal" to those who serve the nation.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC