Overview
- Oswaldo Pirela, the San Diego Padres minor-league catching coordinator, was detained at El Paso International Airport on Sunday, Aug. 16, and held for about a week before being released on bond and returning to his family.
- The Department of Homeland Security says Pirela entered the U.S. legally in 2014 and overstayed permission that it records as ending in early 2018, and it says removal proceedings will continue.
- Pirela’s family says he filed for asylum, has pending asylum applications and obtained work authorization tied to that process, and they have hired an immigration lawyer to contest DHS’s account.
- Reporting says Pirela did not have his physical work-permit card when detained, and DHS emphasized that work authorization or a pending asylum application do not by themselves create lawful permanent status.
- The Padres confirmed his release and limited public comment to a statement expressing relief, and the case highlights how traveling employees with contested documentation can face airport enforcement even while legal claims remain unresolved.