Venezuelan DJ detained at Boston airport after World Cup visit, facing deportation
Jul 16, 2026·Location: Boston, MA
Country of origin: Venezuela
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
Sources
- She came to Boston for a Noah Kahan concert. Now she’s in ICE custody.
Boston Globe·Jul 16, 2026·archived copy
- Woman taken into ICE custody at Logan Airport after attending Noah Kahan concert
WCVB·Jul 17, 2026·archived copy
- 2 arrested by ICE at Logan Airport after visiting Boston for major events
nbcboston.com·Jul 17, 2026·archived copy
- 2 arrested at Logan Airport as ICE activity ramps up
boston.com·Jul 18, 2026·archived copy
- Attorney says woman arrested by ICE at Logan Airport after Noah Kahan concert
nbcboston.com·Jul 17, 2026·archived copy
- Judge orders release of woman arrested by ICE at Logan Airport
nbcboston.com·Jul 21, 2026·archived copy
- Seattle DJ taken by ICE in Boston, released 3 weeks later
kiro7.com·Aug 6, 2026·archived copy
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