ICE detained a Venezuelan soccer pro. His case shows the immigration backlog crisis

Homero Calderón's detention by ICE spotlights the massive backlog in the U.S. immigration system.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1501x2000+0+0/resize/1501x2000!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2Fa9%2Fa834a16140cda7e2ae35e9a70400%2Fwhatsapp-image-2026-08-10-at-10-51-53-1.jpg' alt='Homero Calderón, a Venezuelan professional soccer player, has been detained in an ICE detention center for nearly six months, despite having two immigration processes pending.'/><p>Homero Calderón's detention by ICE spotlights the massive backlog in the U.S. immigration system. <strong>  </strong></p><p>(Image credit: Ramón Calderón)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5928322' />