Congolese student detained after family seeks asylum in Canada
Nov 12, 2025·Location: Champlain, NY
Country of origin: Congo

Joel Andre, a 16-year-old Deering High School student from Congo, was detained by Customs and Border Protection on November 12, 2025, at the Champlain Port of Entry in New York after his family attempted to seek asylum in Canada. The family had entered the U.S. without authorization in 2022 and was transferred to a family detention facility in Dilley, Texas. An immigration judge issued a deportation order for the family in February 2025, and their appeal was dismissed in October. Joel is a well-known member of Portland's Kennedy Park pickup soccer community, and his detention prompted his school district and congregation to mobilize support.
Sources
- Southern Maine mother and kids in ICE custody after trying to flee to Canada
bangordailynews.com·Nov 25, 2025·archived copy
- Deering High School Student Detained by ICE
- Portland mother and her 3 teen kids in ICE custody after detention by border agents in New York
- Deering High soccer player detained by immigration agents is back in Maine
WMTW·Mar 27, 2026·archived copy
- Maine high school soccer player and family in ICE custody
WMTW·Nov 26, 2025·archived copy
- 3 members of Portland family released, returning to Maine 4 months after immigration arrest
pressherald.com·Mar 19, 2026·archived copy
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