ICE detains two Wallace State soccer players following traffic stop

Luis and Carlos Orta-Santoro, 19-year-old twin brothers and soccer players for Wallace State Community College, were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a traffic stop in Talladega County, Alabama.

The brothers were reportedly stopped in Lincoln for allegedly rolling through a stop sign while driving back to the college from Georgia. According to their father, the brothers were handcuffed and held overnight in county jail. Booking records indicated they were held for ICE.

An ICE spokesperson stated that the brothers entered the United States legally from Venezuela in June 2022 but remained in the country after their temporary permission expired. While the brothers have pending asylum cases and work permits valid through 2030, ICE noted that a pending application does not grant legal immigration status. ICE emphasized that the brothers will receive due process through an immigration judge.