An 18-year-old Colombian-born teen, Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete, was released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after spending over two months in detention, and is now seeking to stay in the U.S. to pursue his dreams of playing professional soccer.

Hernandez-Navarrete was arrested in March, along with his mother, during a routine immigration appointment in Chicago, and was separated from her and held in detention facilities across the country. He was released by ICE just two days before his high school graduation, and was able to receive his diploma in Chicago on Thursday evening.

ICE Detention and Release

Hernandez-Navarrete’s detention was “hard to understand,” he said in his first national television interview, as he was not allowed to play soccer, which is his passion. He also expressed the pain of being separated from his mother for weeks, who was released by ICE last week after a judge’s order.

Despite their release, Hernandez-Navarrete and his mother still face the possibility of deportation, as they entered the U.S. illegally in 2022. The U.S. immigration court system will now adjudicate whether the family should be allowed to stay in the country legally and permanently.

Hernandez-Navarrete has been instructed to check in with ICE every two weeks, and has been fitted with a tracking device to monitor his movements. He has also committed to playing soccer for Truman College in Chicago, and is hoping to convince U.S. government officials to let him stay in the country legally.

Seeking to Stay in the U.S.

Hernandez-Navarrete’s high school coach, Enrique Cervantes, described him as someone who is “going to school, working, trying to better themselves and trying to see a future at the collegiate level.” The teen’s lawyer, Kelli Fennel, said that Hernandez-Navarrete will receive “full due process” in the U.S. immigration court system.

Hernandez-Navarrete is hoping that his lack of a criminal record, as well as his ambitions, will be taken into consideration by U.S. government officials. “I’m doing the right things,” he said, “so maybe for that, I can get the opportunity to be here.”

The case highlights the complexities and challenges of the U.S. immigration system, and the impact it can have on individuals and families seeking a better life in the country. As the U.S. continues to grapple with immigration reform, stories like Hernandez-Navarrete’s serve as a reminder of the human side of the issue, and the need for a fair and compassionate approach to immigration policy.