San Diego Padres minor-league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela remained in federal immigration custody on Tuesday after being detained at an airport in El Paso, Texas, while returning from a work trip.
Pirela's family said the 34-year-old Venezuelan has a pending asylum claim and has continually renewed his work authorization. The Department of Homeland Security said he does not have legal status and will face removal proceedings.
Detention details
Pirela was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at El Paso International Airport early on Sunday, according to his relatives. His sister, Daniela Pirela, told NBC News that he was stopped at about 5am. His wife, Kemberly Avila, told The Athletic that he had been preparing to fly home to Arizona.
Pirela had been working with the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres' Triple-A affiliate. His family said he regularly travels for his role with the organization.
Team response
“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the Padres said in a statement. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.” Major League Baseball told CNN that the Padres had contacted Pirela's family. Avila said the club was helping them and that she had spoken with her husband since his detention.
According to ESPN, Pirela's brother said he was not carrying his physical work-permit card when he was stopped. Avila told The Athletic that the family have pending asylum applications and carry temporary identification cards.
Immigration status dispute
Pirela arrived in the US from Venezuela and applied for asylum in 2014, his relatives said. They said he fled political persecution and has renewed his work authorization whenever it approached expiration. His family also said he is pursuing an EB-2 visa, an employment-based route to permanent residency.
DHS disputed the family's description of his immigration status. The department told CNN that Pirela entered the US illegally in 2014 and received permission to remain until February 2018. Officials said he stayed beyond that date and was not carrying documentation giving him legal status when he was approached. DHS said he would remain in ICE custody while removal proceedings continued.
“Work authorization or a pending application do not confer legal status in the United States,” a DHS spokesperson said. Pirela lives outside Phoenix with Avila and their two US-born daughters. Daniela Pirela told NBC News that she had spoken with him briefly but knew little about the conditions in which he was being held. She said her brother told her he was all right, although she believed he was trying to prevent the family from worrying.
Pirela joined the Padres' player-development staff in 2024. He previously spent three seasons as a catcher in the Texas Rangers' minor-league system, playing in the Dominican Summer League from 2009 to 2011. His detention comes amid the Trump administration's push to accelerate deportations and expand the range of immigrants subject to arrest. MLB has previously been pulled into the administration's immigration crackdown. Last year the Los Angeles Dodgers said they refused ICE agents access to stadium parking areas during enforcement operations in the city. It was unclear on Tuesday when Pirela would next appear before an immigration court.
