ICE detains Venezuelan soccer player Homero Calderón amid immigration backlog

Homero Calderón, a Venezuelan professional soccer player, has been detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, for nearly six months. His detention began following a traffic stop in Florida in late February, where he was arrested for driving without a valid license. Calderón, who has two young U.S. citizen children, is currently in limbo as he faces the emotional toll of being separated from his family.

Calderón's case highlights the broader immigration backlog crisis in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security notes that he had permission to stay in the country until September 2025. However, he was in the midst of two pending immigration applications: one for an extension of his tourist visa and another for an EB-1A visa, which is designated for individuals with extraordinary abilities. Despite these applications, Calderón was caught in the crosshairs of stricter immigration enforcement policies and detained, illustrating a troubling trend affecting many immigrants who are trying to navigate the system legally.

The backlog of immigration cases at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached a staggering 11.3 million, exacerbating the plight of individuals like Calderón. This number has grown significantly since 2025, increasing by over 1.6 million cases, according to the American Immigration Council. Shev Dalal-Dheini, a senior director at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, emphasized that Calderón's situation is emblematic of many who are experiencing delays due to a congested system, underscoring a pattern where individuals who comply with immigration laws still face detention.

As Calderón remains in detention, his family is left to grapple with the emotional strain of his absence. His wife, Daniela Molina, expressed her distress over his situation, stating that she has never seen him so vulnerable. The case raises critical questions about the effectiveness and fairness of current immigration policies, especially for those who are actively engaging with the system. With millions of cases pending, the future remains uncertain for Calderón and many others caught in similar predicaments, as the backlog continues to grow and the immigration landscape evolves.