San Diego Padres staffer in ICE custody after arrest at Texas airport
CNN • • sports
Key Points:
- Oswaldo Pirela, a catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres, was detained by ICE in El Paso, Texas, while attempting to travel home to Arizona, where he lives with his family.
- Pirela, originally from Venezuela, arrived in the U.S. in 2014, filed for asylum, and is currently undergoing the EB-2 visa process, having consistently renewed his work authorization legally.
- His detention highlights ongoing tensions between Major League Baseball and aggressive immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration, which has increased deportation efforts and broadened criteria for arrests.
- The Padres organization confirmed awareness of Pirela’s detainment and is in contact with his family, while Major League Baseball has not issued further comments at this time.
