ICE Releases Wife of Active-Duty Soldier Following One-Month Detention

ICE released Deisy Rivera Ortega after a monthlong detention, her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano, told CBS News. Ortega had been held since April 14, when she was detained by ICE during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas.

The appointment on that April morning had been scheduled specifically to protect military spouses from being deported. Ortega is the wife of Sgt. U.S. Army soldier and Afghanistan war veteran.

Sgt. 1st Class Jose Serrano spoke about reuniting with his wife after her release from ICE custody. The soldier described the moment he saw his wife again following the month apart.

After weeks of uncertainty that began with the April 14 detention in El Paso, the family was able to come back together at home. @CBSNews reported that the case drew attention because the immigration process Ortega followed was designed to shield spouses of service members.

Serrano, who continues to serve on active duty, had to balance his military responsibilities with the effort to secure his wife's release during the 30 days she spent in custody.

Ortega's detention lasted exactly one month before ICE freed her. The sequence of events, from the El Paso appointment through the month in custody to her eventual release, left the couple navigating both the immigration system and the demands of military service.