Overview
- Border Patrol detained Oswaldo Pirela at El Paso International Airport on Sunday and ICE records show he remains at the El Paso Processing Center in custody.
- The Department of Homeland Security says Pirela legally entered in 2014 but was only authorized to stay until February 10, 2018, and that he lacked documentation when approached.
- Pirela’s family says he filed for asylum after arriving from Venezuela, has renewed temporary work authorization while his case has been pending, and that he was traveling for a Padres work assignment when stopped.
- Multiple reports say Pirela did not have his physical work‑permit card with him at the airport, his family has hired an attorney and asked their congressional representative for help, and the Padres say they are gathering information.
- The case highlights how pending asylum filings and temporary work permits do not, on their own, bar detention or removal and it could affect how immigration enforcement intersects with routine team travel and workers with long unresolved immigration cases.