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Army sergeant's wife detained at USCIS appointment despite legal protections, released after senator's intervention

May 16, 2026 · El Paso, TX, El Salvador

Army sergeant's wife detained at USCIS appointment despite legal protections, released after senator's intervention

Deisy Fidelina Rivera Ortega, wife of active-duty U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jose Serrano stationed at Fort Bliss, was detained by ICE agents on April 14, 2026, while attending a USCIS appointment in El Paso, Texas to apply for Parole in Place. A native of El Salvador who had lived in the U.S. for approximately a decade, Rivera Ortega held valid work authorization and a 2019 court order granting her withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture. Despite these legal protections, ICE arrested her based on a December 2019 removal order for illegal entry and indicated plans to deport her to Mexico under third-country removal procedures. After approximately one month in custody at the El Paso Service Processing Center, Rivera Ortega was released on May 15, 2026, following media reporting and personal intervention by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and combat veteran who contacted the Department of Homeland Security on her behalf. She remains subject to GPS monitoring, mandatory ICE check-ins, home visits, and travel restrictions while facing potential deportation.

Timeline

May 15, 2026Rivera Ortega released from El Paso Service Processing Center after one month in custody following media reporting and Senator Tammy Duckworth's intervention with Department of Homeland Security
Apr 14, 2026Deisy Rivera Ortega detained by ICE agents while attending USCIS Parole in Place appointment in El Paso, Texas

Sources

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