ICE releases wife of US soldier after she spent a month in detention - as White House confirms it will 'look into case'
The wife of a US soldier has been released from custody by ICE officers after spending a month in immigration detention.
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An active-duty soldier and Afghanistan war veteran Jose Serrano revealed his wife Deisy Rivera Ortega was arrested on April 14 during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas.
Ms Ortega, who has lived in the US for around a decade, was undergoing the procedure as part of her application through Parole in Place.
The affiliated programme protects partners of those in the military in the country illegally or without permanent legal status from being deported.
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Had her application been accepted, she would have been able to get a green card through her marriage to Serrano, who is a US citizen.
Sgt. 1st Class Serrano told CBS News that his wife was working legally thanks to a permit she received under the UN Convention Against Torture, which prevents her from being deported to her native country El Salvador.
However, the Department of Homeland Security said Ms Ortega had a deportation order dating back to 2019, and that she could be sent to Mexico despite having no ties there.
Mr Serrano said: "We don't know nobody in Mexico. Plus, as a military, we're not allowed to go to Mexico."
He added: "I love the Army. (The) Army helped me out for almost 28 years. It's not the Army, sir. It's ICE.
"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" the case.
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth confirmed that she called Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and asked for Ms Ortega to be released.
She said: "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.
"I will never stop working to protect our Veterans and military families. They fought for this country, we must fight for them."