American immigration attorney, military law expert, MacArthur Fellow
The backlog at USCIS has surged to over 12.1 million people, with 5.6 million waiting six months or more for decisions on citizenship, residency, and work permits. A growing number of military families are being detained or deported as protections for service members’ relatives are rolled back across this period.
Luis Manuel Aviles, a 48-year-old handyman and father in Key West, has been detained in a case tied to a broader immigration crackdown affecting relatives of U.S. service members. His detention followed by release has drawn scrutiny as the USS Abraham Lincoln recently set a record for uninterrupted time at sea, with officials and advocates warning of ripple effects for military families.