Summary (tl;dr)

Deisy Rivera Ortega, the wife of an active-duty U.S. Army sergeant, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an immigration appointment in El Paso, Texas, sparking concerns over the treatment of military families under current immigration policies.

Essential Background

Deisy Rivera Ortega, originally from El Salvador, entered the United States without authorization approximately a decade ago. In 2019, an immigration judge granted her legal protection under the Convention Against Torture, which prevented her deportation to El Salvador due to potential harm there. This protection allowed her to obtain a valid work permit and she was reportedly working at two hotels inside Fort Bliss. She married U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jose Serrano, a 27-year veteran who served in Afghanistan, in 2022. The couple had also applied for a "Parole in Place" application, a program designed to offer deportation protections for military spouses, but her case remained pending.

The Full Story

Deisy Rivera Ortega was detained by ICE on April 14, 2026, while attending what her husband believed was a routine immigration appointment at an immigration office in El Paso, Texas. Despite her legal protection from deportation to El Salvador and having an active work permit, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that she had entered the U.S. illegally and remains subject to a deportation order, classifying her as a "criminal illegal alien" due to a conviction for illegal entry. Sergeant Serrano expressed confusion and distress over her detention, emphasizing that his wife had consistently followed immigration rules. Her attorney, Matthew Kozik, has filed a habeas petition in federal court, calling the detention "absurd". Ortega is currently being held at an ICE processing center in El Paso.

Why It Matters

This case has drawn significant attention because it involves the spouse of a long-serving active-duty military member, raising questions about immigration enforcement policies and their impact on military families. Sergeant Serrano, who suffers from PTSD and traumatic brain injury, has publicly stated that his mental health has worsened significantly since his wife's detention. The possibility of Ortega's deportation to a third country like Mexico, where she has no ties or family, further complicates the situation for the Serrano family, as U.S. service members cannot travel to Mexico. Advocates for military families argue that such detentions are becoming more common and undermine trust in the immigration system, potentially forcing service members to choose between their military careers and their families.

Geographic Location

• El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, United States (detention by ICE at an immigration office and current ICE custody)