Wife of U.S. Army Sergeant Released from Immigration Detention

Deisy Rivera Ortega, an El Salvador native married to Sgt. Jose Serrano, was detained by ICE while applying for a program called parole-in-place, which allows military spouses to remain in the U.S. while their immigration cases are processed. Despite holding a military spouse ID and a valid work permit, Rivera Ortega's past illegal entry into the U.S. in 2016 led to her detention. Senator Tammy Duckworth's intervention and advocacy from other groups led to her release, but she remains under certain restrictions.

The DHS's decision to detain Rivera Ortega reflects a shift from a 2022 policy that considered military service as a significant mitigating factor in immigration enforcement decisions. The current policy states that military service alone does not exempt individuals from immigration laws. This change has raised concerns among advocates for military families, who argue that such detentions undermine national security by distracting active-duty service members.

She was detained due to a prior order of removal stemming from entering the U.S. illegally in 2016.

It is a program that allows military spouses to remain in the U.S. while their immigration cases are being processed.

She was released with a GPS tracking device, mandatory home visits, and ICE office check-ins.

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