ICE Detains Argentine Soccer Player from Miami While Traveling with Team
Posted on 08/10/26 at 11:30
- ICE detains Argentine soccer player
- Pourrain had a work permit
- Family seeks bail
Matías Alejandro Pourrain, an Argentine soccer player for the Miami United FC, remains in ICE custody after being intercepted while traveling with his team.
The 34-year-old player has lived in the United States since 2019, when he entered the country on a tourist visa.
Pourrain has a pending immigration application and a valid work permit, according to his attorney, Regina de Moraes, who spoke to Telemundo 51.
Why it matters: The case comes as there are reports of an increase in migrant detentions at airports, even when they are not crossing an international border.
The incident began last Thursday, when Pourrain and the Miami United FC were preparing to travel to Los Angeles.
ICE Detains Argentine Soccer Player at Miami Airport
🟠 ICE DETAINS ARGENTINE SOCCER PLAYER: HIS BROTHER SPEAKS OUT
Juan Pourrain, Matías Pourrain’s brother, recounted how the soccer player was detained by ICE agents while traveling with his team to Los Angeles. He claimed that the player has a visa, a work permit, and an asylum request… pic.twitter.com/A4UHtSueOb
— Infobae En Vivo (@infobaenvivo) August 7, 2026
The team was scheduled to play in the UPSL final, and its members had already passed through TSA security checks.
While waiting to board the flight, three men in plain clothes approached the Argentine soccer player and asked for his name.
«They asked for his name, he confirmed his name, and they said they needed to ask him a few questions,» De Moraes explained.
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The attorney claimed that the procedure took place without incident between Pourrain and the men who approached him.
«There was no commotion or fight, nothing,» the player’s legal representative added.
Pourrain was separated from his teammates, and a team member who knew De Moraes decided to contact her immediately.
The attorney subsequently contacted ICE officials to obtain information about what was happening to her client.
According to her account, they informed her that Pourrain would be detained and that she could seek bail before an immigration judge.
The other option they mentioned was for him to sign his own deportation.
That same day, Pourrain was transferred to the ICE detention center in Miramar.
He remained there until this Saturday, when he began his transfer to the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, according to De Moraes.
Attorney Claims Soccer Player Has No Criminal Record
Argentine soccer player detained by ICE at US airport. He was intercepted while traveling to play a match. A relative indicated that Matías Pourrain remains in ICE custody in Miramar, north of Miami, and managed to make a 10-second call to his family… pic.twitter.com/UoCWpd0QhS
— Chikistrakiz (@chikistrakiz) August 7, 2026
ICE’s detainee record confirms that Pourrain remains in custody, although it does not specify the facility where he is being held.
Telemundo 51 contacted ICE, but the agency had not confirmed the details of the detention or which authority carried out the procedure.
De Moraes assured that her client has no criminal record.
«Matías has no criminal history. He has never been arrested for DUI, domestic violence, theft, nothing,» the attorney stated.
Telemundo 51 verified that there are no police records in his name, at least in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
De Moraes also claimed that during his stay in Miramar, agents tried to convince him to sign his own deportation.
The attorney even mentioned offers of money for those who agree to sign. Pourrain, she explained, did not sign any documents.
Regarding the reasons for the detention, she pointed out that the Argentine has a pending immigration application that has not been approved or rejected.
«It’s a gray area in immigration… there’s nothing that says they can’t do that,» De Moraes said.
She also stated that under other administrations, a person in Pourrain’s situation would be processed and later released.
Pourrain’s Family Awaits Bail Request
The detention comes as there are reports of an increase in immigration procedures at airports, even without an international border crossing.
Kathia Quirós, an immigration analyst for Telemundo, warned about the risks that some people may face at airports.
«TSA is sharing information about these individuals with ICE and the Border Patrol,» Quirós stated.
While Pourrain remains in custody, his family awaits the possibility of requesting bail.
The Miami United FC has also publicly expressed its support for the soccer player, who, in addition to playing for the club, trains children.
«Matías is not only an exceptional soccer player, but also, above all, a better person and an important part of the Miami United family.»
«His teammates, coaches, staff, and the entire club are firmly by his side and with his family,» the team’s statement added.
For now, Pourrain remains in custody while his family and legal representation await progress in the immigration process.
