ICE detained a Memphis student on his way to a school soccer game. What will happen next is unclear.

Tennessee state Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, speaks after a House Education Committee hearing in Nashville. Salinas visited a Memphis student who has been held in ICE custody for two weeks. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Tennessee state Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, speaks after a House Education Committee hearing in Nashville. Salinas visited a Memphis student who has been held in ICE custody for two weeks. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

By Bri Hatch March 12, 2026 5 min read

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An 18-year-old Memphis student is being held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center after he was detained on the way to a school soccer game just over two weeks ago.

Yasser Jose Lopez Soza was riding in a car with teammates to the soccer game Feb. 20 when the driver was pulled over for an alleged traffic violation, Soza family attorney Jay Paul Fearnley said.

An officer asked each person for a form of ID, and Soza was unable to provide one, prompting the officer to call immigration officials. Soza is charged with being present in the U.S. without a valid travel document or proof of admission, Fearnley said.