POLISCOPE
Back to feed
NewsKPBS Public MediaAugust 19, 2026San Diego

ICE arrests San Diego Padres minor league coach at El Paso airport

U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Padres minor league coach Oswaldo Pirela at the El Paso International Airport on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security stated the arrest occurred because Pirela's legal status had expired, despite his family's claims that he holds a valid work permit and has a pending asylum application.

immigrationsportslaw enforcementasylum
Read the full story at KPBS Public Media

Why It Matters

The arrest highlights a shift in federal enforcement policy where individuals with pending applications or expired visas are being targeted for detention at airports using TSA passenger data.

Key Facts

  • ICE arrested Oswaldo Pirela at El Paso International Airport on a Sunday morning.
  • Pirela is a minor league catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres.
  • The Department of Homeland Security stated Pirela's legal status in the U.S. has expired.
  • Pirela's family claims he has a valid work permit and a pending asylum application.
  • Pirela has lived in the U.S. since 2014.
  • The TSA provides passenger lists to ICE, which ICE cross-references with their own target lists.
  • ICE began using airport arrests as part of a mass deportation campaign in July.
  • DHS maintains that work authorization or a pending application does not confer legal status.

Who's Mentioned

locationEl Paso International Airport“Site of the arrest”locationVenezuela“Pirela's native country”organizationSan Diego Padres“Pirela's employer”organizationU.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement“Federal agency that arrested Pirela”personNicolas Maduro“President of Venezuela”organizationDepartment of Homeland Security“Federal department confirming the arrest”personNaivy Dominguez“Mother of Oswaldo Pirela”personOswaldo Pirela“Padres minor league coach arrested by ICE”organizationTransportation Security Agency“Agency providing passenger lists to ICE”personJorge Pirela“Brother of Oswaldo Pirela”