Army Hero's Wife Faces Deportation to Mexico Despite Service Ties

Sgt. First Class Jose Serrano, 51, a 27-year veteran deployed three times to Afghanistan, watched his world fracture on April 14, 2026, when his wife Deisy Fidelina Rivera Ortega, 36, was detained by ICE at an El Paso immigration office during a routine Parole in Place interview.[1][2][3] The couple, married since 2022, lives at Fort Bliss, Texas, where Rivera Ortega works for IHG Army Hotels with a valid employment authorization through 2030.[1][2] Serrano, speaking to CBS News, called the situation 'out of control,' questioning why ICE targeted his spouse despite her legal work status on base.[3][4] Rivera Ortega, a Salvadoran national who entered the U.S. illegally near Rio Grande Valley in 2016, was convicted of illegal entry and released on bond.[2] An immigration judge issued a final removal order on December 12, 2019, but granted her withholding of removal from El Salvador due to dangers there, per court documents.[1][2][3] Her attorney, Jeremy Kozik, told ABC News she was informed of release on April 22, only for DHS to confirm deportation to Mexico instead—a third country with zero family connections.[1][2] DHS/ICE disputes the release narrative, labeling Rivera Ortega a 'criminal illegal alien' in custody pending removal, emphasizing that work permits do not grant legal status.[2] Kozik contests the 2019 order's enforcement, noting recent work authorization and her military spouse status under Parole in Place, designed for undocumented relatives of service members.[1][2][6] She remains held at the El Paso Service Processing Center.[1] For Serrano, the stakes are personal and professional: military rules likely bar travel to Mexico, severing contact and straining his career.[1][3] The family, rooted at Fort Bliss, now navigates habeas petitions and legal appeals amid national debate on immigration enforcement versus military family support.[4][5] As of April 22, 2026, no resolution has emerged, leaving the sergeant's devotion in limbo.[1][2]