The father of a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln has been released from detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, his son said Tuesday.

In a Facebook post shared on behalf of his family, the sailor, Joshua Aviles, said his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, had been released from ICE detention and was back with his family. The statement said the family was “grateful” for the support and would not be responding to press inquiries.

“While we await the return of our proud Navy sailor, we kindly ask for your understanding and respect,” the family said, referring to Joshua Aviles, who remains deployed.

The update came just a day after a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said that Aviles Roa, of Key West, Florida, would remain in ICE detention.

Aviles first shared the news of his father’s detention in a Facebook post on Saturday. He said that his father has a Social Security card, driver’s license and work permit, and that the family was awaiting his green card approval. Aviles described his dad as “a hardworking, humble man,” and news of his father’s detainment quickly made national headlines.

A DHS spokesperson on Monday described Aviles Roa as “an illegal alien from Nicaragua” and said he was detained after a vehicle stop in Key West.

“Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Military service by an immediate relative does not automatically grant parole, lawful status, or immunity from immigration enforcement.”

Aviles and a DHS spokesperson have not responded to subsequent requests for comment from MS NOW.

The news of Aviles Roa’s release from detention came as more than 50 parents and spouses of active duty military members have been detained by immigration officers thus far in President Donald Trump’s second term, and at least half a dozen have been deported, the Associated Press found in an investigation published earlier this month.

The Key West Immigrant Support Group, a local organization, said in a Facebook post on Monday that at least 28 people had been detained by immigration enforcement over the prior week.

Key West has a population of about 25,000 people, nearly a quarter of whom are foreign-born, census data shows.

Aviles said in the Facebook post on Saturday that he had been deployed on the Lincoln in the Middle East for more than nine months, “fighting for a country that has given me everything.”

Family members of those deployed have been concerned about the conditions facing the crew of more than 5,000. They described many sailors not getting a single day off and going without basic supplies during the grueling deployment. The ship is now on its way back to San Diego.

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