Venezuelan Soccer Player’s Detention Highlights Immigration Challenges in the U.S.
In a turn of events that has brought attention to the complexities of the U.S. immigration system, Homero Calderón, a professional soccer player from Venezuela, has found himself detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for nearly six months. This situation arises despite Calderón being involved in two ongoing immigration processes.
Calderón, who once graced soccer fields in Venezuela, Portugal, Cyprus, and Italy, is now confined to an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia. His detention has taken a toll on his family, with his wife, Daniela Molina, expressing concern over his state of mind. “I’ve been 17 years with Homero,” Molina said in a social media video, “I had never heard him cry or ask for help like he has.”
The ordeal began when Calderón was stopped for speeding in Florida and subsequently arrested for driving without a valid Florida license, despite holding an international driving permit, according to Molina. Following this incident, he was transferred to ICE custody.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated Calderón had “permission to stay until September 5, 2025” but had “overstayed his welcome.” However, Calderón had submitted an application for a tourist visa extension and an EB-1A visa, intended for individuals with extraordinary abilities. These pending applications did not prevent his detention.
Shev Dalal-Dheini from the American Immigration Lawyers Association remarked that Calderón’s case reflects a broader issue within the immigration system. “His case is symbolic of so many other individuals who are stuck in processing backlogs at USCIS,” she said. The backlog of cases at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached 11.3 million, with the American Immigration Council noting a significant increase during President Trump’s tenure.
Adriel Orozco from the American Immigration Council highlighted the vulnerability of immigrants due to delayed application processing, stating, “As the government takes longer to process applications, that means people are vulnerable to being arrested by ICE because they don’t have a set status approved by the federal government.”
Calderón’s family maintains that he has never committed a crime in the U.S. or elsewhere. NPR’s investigation found no evidence of criminal activity in Calderón’s past. His brother, Ramón Calderón, emphasized Homero’s adherence to legal processes, underscoring the family’s frustration with the current situation. “We’ve done everything under the legality of what the immigration laws are,” he said.
As Calderón remains in detention, his family anxiously awaits a resolution. “We just need his process to have an answer, a final answer on his visa and his residency case. Whatever that result is going to be, we will accept,” Ramón Calderón expressed, hoping for a swift conclusion to this challenging chapter.
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
