Emerson Colindres, a 19-year-old soccer standout, could be deported back to Honduras. This just days after his high school graduation from Gilbert A Dater High School in Cincinnati. On June 4, during a routine check-in at his Cincinnati office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials took Colindres into custody. His continued detention has sent waves of concern through his family, friends, and supporters. They think that he’s a victim of an unfair immigration system.
Colindres did not have a criminal record. He was heavily involved in his community, attending active involvement— playing soccer for the Cincy Galaxy youth soccer club— Cox to coach Bryan Williams. His mother, Ada Bell Baquedano-Amador, explained why she feared for her son’s future once he was deported. As recently as nine years ago, the family would have been able to enter the United States without documentation. Earlier this year a judge issued a final removal order against Colindres and his family after they lost their asylum application.
Unfortunately, he is not alone. Emerson, are in crisis as well. Find out more stories like Emerson’s. They’re facing the same struggles that you are,” exclaimed Williams, as he focused on the common thread of troubles they all share. Colindres emigrated from Honduras at the age of eight. His lack of formal education in Korea greatly complicates his attempts to navigate a country he barely knows.
As a mother, it hurts me so much to think he could be deported. How is my son going to get through that,” she said. He has no clue, and the country that we originally come from is very dangerous. Many of you share this concern with us. They stress for the safety and return of their loved ones to areas still widely characterized by unrest and disarray.
ICE spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin was quick to clear up just what the agency was doing. She reiterated that for anyone who is in the country unlawfully, the decision of whether to remove you belongs in front of a judge. We will now remove it accordingly as instructed – with regret. This remark underscores the agency’s strict adherence to immigration laws, which many critics argue disproportionately affect innocent individuals like Colindres.
Baquedano-Amador painted a picture of her son’s character, and how much he cared about doing everything the right way. He hasn’t hurt a single person in his life, and yet he’s being punished. We needed to build, she said. He’s never broken the law and always follows the rules. Her remarks resonate with the heartwrenching frustrations of families stuck in a chaotic, labyrinthine immigration system. This system unfortunately too often ignores the tremendously positive impact that young people have already made to their communities.
Colindres was initially held in Butler County Jail. Later, he was transferred to an ICE detention facility in Louisiana where the agency carried out his deportation. The good news is that the community has come together to help him. They grieve over a promising young life cut short, whose dreams of a better tomorrow will never come true.