US Army Sergeant's Wife Detained by ICE in El Paso Appointment
Sgt First Class Jose Serrano, a decorated US army sergeant with 27 years of service including deployment to Afghanistan, has reported that his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega, was arrested by federal immigration agents during an appointment at an immigration office in El Paso, Texas. The incident, detailed in an interview with CBS News, highlights growing tensions over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Legal Protections Ignored in Arrest
Serrano, 51, stated that Rivera Ortega, a Salvadoran national who married him in 2022, has been in the US since 2016 and received legal protection in 2019 that should bar her deportation to El Salvador. "I don't really understand why, because she followed the rules of immigration by the T since day one," Serrano told CBS News, expressing confusion over her detention. Despite this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed she entered the US illegally and was ordered deported in December 2019 after "full due process." DHS labeled her a "criminal illegal alien" due to a conviction for illegal entry, a federal misdemeanor.
Broader Pattern of Military Family Targeting
This case is part of a broader pattern where ICE's crackdown has increasingly affected relatives of US military service members, contradicting initial claims that deportations would prioritize dangerous criminals. In a similar instance, ICE agents detained Annie Ramos, the wife of another army sergeant, at a Louisiana military base as he prepared to deploy. Ramos, a biochemistry student and Sunday school teacher with no criminal record, was released after media coverage but faces ongoing immigration challenges. Additionally, in May 2025, Jermaine Thomas, the son of a US military veteran, was deported to Jamaica despite being born on a US Army base in Germany, raising questions about citizenship and enforcement policies.
Legal and Personal Fallout
Attorney Matthew Kozik, representing Serrano and Rivera Ortega, filed a court petition arguing her detention is illegal. Kozik, a former judge advocate and combat veteran awarded a bronze star, called the situation "absurd." Serrano, who suffers from traumatic brain injury and PTSD, said the stress has reduced his sleep to two hours a day and criticized ICE, stating, "ICE is out of control right now, sir, taking away rights, as soldiers, that we have." He also noted travel restrictions may prevent him from visiting his wife if she is deported to Mexico, a country where she has no ties.
The US Army has deferred questions to DHS, while neither DHS nor ICE provided immediate comment on Rivera Ortega's case. These incidents underscore ongoing debates about immigration enforcement, military family protections, and the impact of Trump-era policies on vulnerable populations.
