Student-Athlete Detained By ICE Over Visa Questions In Dramatic Targeted Enforcement Operation, Family Seeks Legal Support

A student-athlete has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after authorities alleged he violated the conditions of his student visa. The case has drawn attention from classmates, family members and university officials, with supporters launching a fundraising campaign to help cover his legal costs as removal proceedings begin.

Johan Sandoval, a 22-year-old Savannah State University baseball player and international student from the Dominican Republic, was taken into custody on Friday in Clifton Park, New York, where he had been staying with his girlfriend, Adriana Wade, a US citizen. According to Wade, Sandoval was leaving their apartment complex to go to the gym when ICE agents stopped his vehicle.

The Dramatic Arrest

Speaking to The Current GA, Wade said Sandoval briefly returned to the apartment to alert her and her mother after officers intercepted him outside. She alleged that agents followed him to the front door despite him presenting immigration documents during the encounter.

Although Sandoval attempted to show paperwork relating to his immigration status, Wade described the arrest as confrontational. She claimed he misplaced his state identification card during the incident.

'They were very angry and loud about his detainment and had broken his phone completely in the process,' Wade said.

Sandoval is now being held at ICE's Buffalo Service Processing Center in New York, according to the agency's online detainee locator, where he is listed under his full name, Johan Efrain Sandoval Rodriguez. Wade said he has managed to contact both her and relatives in the Dominican Republic twice a day since his detention.

'He wants everyone to be strong for him and he said he's trying to be strong as well,' she said.

Sandoval's Visa Was Terminated In 2025

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said the arrest formed part of a 'targeted enforcement operation' and maintained that Sandoval was no longer complying with the terms of his immigration status.

In a statement provided to The Current GA, a DHS spokesperson said Sandoval entered the United States in 2022 on a nonimmigrant student visa.

'Sandoval Rodriguez first entered the U.S. on a nonimmigrant student visa in 2022. He subsequently failed to adhere to the requirements of his student visa, which was terminated in April 2025,' the spokesperson said.

The department also disputed accounts surrounding the arrest.

'As ICE officers executed the arrest of Sandoval-Rodriguez, he tried to flee on foot. ICE officers reacted with appropriate actions to complete the arrest without further incident.'

Officials added that Sandoval will remain in federal custody pending removal proceedings, the immigration court process that determines whether a non-US citizen can legally remain in the country.

International students in the US are generally required to maintain full-time enrolment and comply with visa conditions to retain lawful status.

A terminated student visa or loss of status can trigger immigration enforcement action, although individuals may still challenge removal through the immigration court system depending on the circumstances of their case.

Sandoval's detention has prompted an outpouring of support from family members and the Savannah State community. His sister, Melissa Sandoval, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for legal expenses.

The university has so far offered limited public comment. A representative from Savannah State's athletics department said officials were still gathering information.