Fort Bliss sergeant’s arrested wife could face deportation

FORT BLISS, Texas (KVIA) -- U.S. Army Sergeant First Class José Serrano, stationed at Fort Bliss, says that ICE detained his wife, who could now face possible deportation after being taken into custody during an immigration interview.

Sergeant Serrano has served for 27 years and has deployed to Afghanistan on three occasions; as he told ABC News, both he and his wife have been "doing everything by the book."

ABC-7 contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to request comment; a DHS spokesperson provided us with the following statement:

“On April 14, ICE arrested Deisy Fidelina Rivera-Ortega, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador. She was previously convicted for illegal entry—a federal offense. Rivera-Ortega entered the U.S. in 2016 near Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and was released on bond. She received full due process, and an immigration judge issued her a final order of removal on December 12, 2019. Work authorization does not confer any legal status to be in the country. Rivera-Ortega remains in ICE custody pending removal.”

ABC-7 also reached out to the attorney representing Sgt. 1st Class Serrano.

Watch the full story tonight on ABC-7 at 6.