On May 14, 2026, CBS News reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano, after detaining her for a month. Rivera Ortega, originally from El Salvador, was arrested during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas, despite living in the U.S. for about ten years. She was applying for Parole in Place, a program protecting military spouses from deportation. Her arrest was part of a trend of increased ICE detentions of military relatives under the second Trump administration. Rivera Ortega faced deportation due to a 2019 order and a conviction for illegal entry. Her husband, a veteran with mental health challenges, expressed distress over her detention. White House border czar Tom Homan acknowledged the complexity of the case and noted ICE’s discretion in such matters.
QUESTION: How might the increased detentions of military family members impact the morale and mental health of active-duty service members?
ICE releases wife of U.S. Army soldier after monthlong detention
