The wife of a US Army soldier was released from custody on Thursday after spending a month in federal immigration detention.
Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano, an active-duty soldier and Afghanistan war veteran, told CBS News that Immigration and Customs Enforcement released his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega.
Ortega, who has lived in the United States for about a decade, was arrested by ICE on April 14 in the middle of one of her immigration appointments in El Paso, Texas.
The appointment was a requirement as part of her application through Parole in Place, a program that protects military spouses in the country illegally or without permanent legal status from being deported.
Had Ortega's Parole in Place application been accepted, she would have been able to get a green card through her marriage to Serrano, who is a US citizen.
Serrano said his wife was working legally thanks to a permit she received under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, which prevents her from being deported to El Salvador, her native country.
At the time of her arrest, the Department of Homeland Security said Ortega had a deportation order dating back to 2019.
Ortega, who has lived in the United States for about a decade, was arrested by ICE on April 14 in the middle of one of her immigration appointments in El Paso, Texas
US Soldier Jose Serrano pictured with his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega. Ortega was arrested last month by ICE and she was released on Thursday
White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS News last week that he would 'look into' Rivera Ortega's case
She was informed while in ICE detention, according to Serrano, that she would potentially be deported to Mexico, where she has no ties.
'We don't know nobody in Mexico,' Serrano told CBS News. 'Plus, as a military, we're not allowed to go to Mexico.'
She was also told that her specific legal protection only prevents government officials from being deported back to El Salvador.
Serrano said his wife had been struggling with her mental health while she was detained, the experience worsening her traumatic brain injury, PTSD and depression.
'I love the Army. (The) Army helped me out for almost 28 years. It's not the Army, sir. It's ICE,' Serrano said.
'ICE is out of control right now, sir, taking away rights, as soldiers, that we have.'
White House border czar Tom Homan told CBS News last week that he would 'look into' Rivera Ortega's case.
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth told the network she called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and asked for Rivera Ortega to be released.
'I'm thankful to Secretary Mullin for heeding my personal call to release Deisy, but she — and so many others — should never have been in this situation to begin with,' Duckworth said.
'I will never stop working to protect our Veterans and military families. They fought for this country, we must fight for them.'