HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Four days after Luis Orta-Santoro helped Wallace State Community College earn a spot in the national soccer tournament, Lincoln police arrested him and his twin brother, Carlos, during a traffic stop in Talladega County. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it took both players into custody the next day.
Talladega County Sheriff’s Office records list the arrests of Luis Alejandro Orta-Santoro and Carlos Alberto Orta-Santoro, both 19, at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Each county booking lists one entry, “HOLD FOR ICE,” and a Nov. 5 release from the county jail. Neither booking lists a traffic charge.
Their father, Carlos Enrique Orta Corredor, told WBRC the brothers were driving back to Wallace State after visiting their parents in Georgia.
He said an officer stopped them in Lincoln for allegedly rolling through a stop sign, asked for their licenses and had both young men step out of the vehicle.
They were handcuffed and spent the night in jail, he said.
Lincoln police signed a task force agreement with ICE on July 20, according to 287(g) Watch, which tracks the agency’s published agreements.
ICE says the program allows trained local officers to exercise limited immigration authority during routine police work under federal supervision.
The booking records do not say whether the officer who stopped the brothers was acting under that agreement.
In a Nov. 7 statement to WAFF, ICE spokesperson Melissa Egan said the brothers entered the United States legally from Venezuela on June 21, 2022, but stayed after their temporary permission expired.
Egan said a pending application does not itself grant immigration status.
“All of their claims will be heard by an immigration judge, and they will receive due process,” Egan said.
The parents told WAFF their sons have pending asylum cases and work permits valid through 2030. U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services says asylum applicants may remain in the country while their cases are pending and may separately qualify for permission to work.
A work permit is not a ruling on an asylum claim. The Tribune has not reviewed the brothers’ immigration documents.
WBRC reported Nov. 6 that the brothers were being held at the Pickens County Detention Center in Carrollton.
Their mother, Reyna Santoro, told the station the family had retained attorneys and feared her sons would be moved to Louisiana.
“My appeal is for people to help us reach our representatives, our congressmen and senators,” Santoro told WBRC.
Carolina Orta, who identified herself as the brothers’ aunt, set a $20,000 goal on a public GoFundMe page to cover immigration attorneys’ fees and potential bond expenses for both nephews.
WAFF reported that the brothers’ Wallace State soccer coach praised their character and their work as student-athletes.
Carlos recorded a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over East Mississippi Community College on Sept. 12, according to the National Junior College Athletic Association.
On Oct. 31, Luis converted one of Wallace State’s six penalty kicks in a shootout win over Patrick & Henry in Martinsville, Virginia, according to Wallace State Sports Information.
That win sent the Lions to the Division II national tournament, which opens Nov. 15 in Huntsville.
The Tribune reached out to Wallace State for comment, but the college declined at this time.
