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Venezuelan DJ detained at Boston airport after World Cup visit, facing deportation

Jul 16, 2026 · Boston, MA, Venezuela

Venezuelan DJ detained at Boston airport after World Cup visit, facing deportation

David Ardila, a 33-year-old DJ from Venezuela, was detained by ICE at Logan Airport on July 10, 2026, after returning from attending a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match in Boston. Ardila fled Venezuela and applied for asylum in 2017, entering the U.S. on a valid visa that year. He holds a Social Security number and work permits and has been following all legal processes required while waiting nearly a decade for an asylum interview. ICE detained him for allegedly overstaying his visa by over eight years, which his attorney Todd Pomerleau attributes to delays in the asylum application process. Ardila has no criminal record and is currently being held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts, approximately 3,000 miles from his family in Seattle, with legal challenges being filed seeking his release and permission to remain in Massachusetts during his immigration proceedings.

Timeline

Jul 16, 2026Ardila held at Plymouth County Correctional Facility; legal challenges filed seeking release and permission to remain in Massachusetts
Jul 10, 2026Ardila detained by ICE at Logan Airport after attending FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match in Boston
2017David Ardila fled Venezuela and applied for asylum in the U.S., entering on a valid visa

Sources

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