ICE detention backlog is at the center of a case involving Venezuelan midfielder Homero Calderón, a longtime professional player who has spent nearly six months in federal custody in Folkston, Ga., despite two immigration petitions pending, according to his family and federal officials.
Calderón built a journeyman career across Venezuela, Portugal, Cyprus and most recently Italy. Now, instead of training, the father of two U.S. citizen children, ages 1 and 3, waits in detention. His family says the confinement has taken a toll and that he missed his daughter’s first birthday. His wife, Daniela Molina, said in a social media video that she had never heard him cry or ask for help the way he has from custody.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Calderón was stopped by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida in late February for speeding and arrested for driving without a valid Florida license. Molina said he held a valid international driving permit. He was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and has remained detained.
DHS said in a statement that Calderón had “permission to stay until September 5, 2025” and that he overstayed in violation of U.S. law. Family members and advocates counter that he had two active filings when he was detained. Records provided by the family show he sought a tourist visa extension on Aug. 25, 2025, and applied for an EB-1A extraordinary ability visa, which can lead to permanent residency for athletes, scientists, artists, educators and business leaders.
Advocates say his case reflects a broader shift and the worsening pace of case processing.
ICE detention backlog highlights mounting USCIS delays
“His case is symbolic of so many other individuals who are stuck in processing backlogs at USCIS, individuals doing the right thing by filing timely,” said Shev Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She said many applicants wait months or years for decisions. Dalal-Dheini argued the slow pace enables enforcement against people whose identities and locations are known because they filed applications.
The pending caseload at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stands at about 11.3 million, and since 2025 it has grown by more than 1.6 million, according to an analysis by the American Immigration Council. Even as overall filings declined, the group found USCIS processed about 41 percent fewer cases at the start of fiscal 2025. “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,” said Adriel Orozco, a senior policy counsel with the council.
Calderón’s relatives say he has never been charged with a crime in the United States or elsewhere. A review by the family and publicly available records revealed no evidence of past or pending criminal cases. In prior years, advocates note, immigrants with active USCIS or court matters were not typically targeted for detention. Orozco said priorities have shifted under the Trump administration, and that now any immigrant may be detained regardless of a pending case.
Waiting for his release
Calderón’s older brother, Ramón, described him as disciplined from a young age. He recalled that Homero signed his first professional contract at 16 with Sport Club Guaraní in Venezuela and has primarily played in midfield. His most recent club was Italy’s A.S.D. Arboris Belli 1979 last year.
Ramón, a U.S. citizen, said the family has long followed immigration rules on visits to the United States and that Homero followed every legal step when he came. “We’ve done everything under the legality of what the immigration laws are,” he said, adding that the family is struggling to see Homero remain in detention.
DHS said Calderón will stay in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings. His family hoped he would be released on bond while his cases move forward. “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 said.
Earlier this year, a federal contract with Burke Law Group highlighted the growing strain the immigration system places on migrant families and children.