EL PASO, Texas (TNND) — The wife of an active-duty U.S. Army soldier was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas last week and now reportedly faces deportation to Mexico.Sgt. First Class Jose Serrano, 51, told CBS News that his wife, Deisy Rivera Ortega, was arrested by ICE on April 14 during an appointment with an immigration office in El Paso. The couple has been married since 2022.Immigration court documents reviewed by the outlet show Rivera Ortega has been in the U.S. since 2016 and was granted legal protection in 2019 that prohibits her deportation to her home country of El Salvador.However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Rivera Ortega entered the U.S. illegally and could be deported to a third country, such as Mexico, where she has no ties.Serrano said his wife had an active work permit at the time of her arrest.“I don’t really understand why, because she followed the rules of immigration by the T since day one,” Serrano said, adding that the situation “is not the Army’s doing” and calling ICE “out of control.”“We don’t know nobody in Mexico,” he continued. “Plus, as a military, we’re not allowed to go to Mexico.”Service members are generally permitted to travel to Mexico but must follow strict guidelines, including notifying counterintelligence officials of their travel plans, according to a 2019 Air Force notice.The case comes after DHS last April eliminated a 2022 policy that considered an immediate family member’s military service a “significant mitigating factor” in immigration enforcement decisions. The updated policy states that “military service alone does not automatically exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”Matthew Kozik, the attorney representing Serrano and his wife, told CBS News that a habeas petition has been filed in federal court, arguing Rivera Ortega’s detention is unlawful.Rivera Ortega’s case is not an isolated incident. In recent months, several military spouses have been detained by ICE, including individuals arrested during routine immigration appointments or while seeking benefits tied to their partner’s service.One recent case involved Annie Ramos, 22, the wife of an active-duty Army staff sergeant, who was detained by ICE at a Louisiana military base shortly after her wedding while trying to enroll in spousal benefits.“All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby. I want to finish my degree, continue my education, and serve my community – just as my husband serves our country with honor,” she said in a statement after being released.