The mother of a Forward Madison Academy player was detained by immigration authorities while the team was in Minneapolis for games over the weekend, the club told supporters in an email Tuesday.
The club is hosting a GoFundMe fundraiser for the player, an 18-year-old high school senior from Milwaukee, who is now on his own while his mother’s case is adjudicated. She remains in custody in Texas, according to the club. The fundraiser has raised just over $41,000 in the last two days. Madison365 has elected not to identify the player at this time.
Forward Madison Academy Director Aaron Hohlbein told Madison365 the academy’s under-16 and under-19 teams were in the Twin Cities to play league matches against Minneapolis United and Manitou FC. After the U19 match, the player and his mother went out for lunch and found immigration authorities at their hotel when they returned. They arrested the player’s mother, leaving the player to fend for himself.
The arrest came amid a sharp increase in federal law enforcement presence in Minneapolis.
Hohlbein said a bystander was able to take the player in and help him stay settled.
“That was a huge first step to have somebody right there who was willing and able to put their arm around (the player) while in the immediate aftermath,” Hohlbein said.
Hohlbein said he learned of the situation while coaching the U16 match.
“That’s where we started as a club to to get the resources gathered and try and get to the bottom of what was going on and just help him,” Hohlbein said.
He said the player and his mother’s employer are working with legal representation, but it remains unclear how long she will remain in custody or what might happen next. Madison365 has not confirmed the mother’s immigration status.
“It’s outrageous that kids and families are worrying about it to go play a soccer game, which is supposed to be about joy and enjoyment and passion,” Hohlbein said.
Hohlbein said the player has a “support network” in Milwaukee, but is now living on his own with bills to pay and final exams to take.
“He’s working to help pay rent with his mom, and between the two of them they were able to work it out,” Hohlbein said. “He’s got his car payment and insurance and gas. So immediately our thought was, let’s get him his basic necessities.”
Hohlbein also spoke to the player’s character, noting that his club fees are paid for with a scholarship but the player often asks whether he can work for the club to repay the scholarship.
“He’s just a wonderful kid,” Hohlbein said. “He’s somebody who has just been looking for an opportunity to continue to play at the highest level that he can … He’s driving over here multiple days a week for training. He’s all the right stuff. I can’t speak high enough about him.”
Hohlbein and Forward Madison Chief Operating Officer Conor Caloia both praised the community around the club for rallying around the player.
“The outpouring of support from families within the club has been amazing,” Hohlbein said. “As soon as word spread … we’ve had family members of the club offering a place to stay, offering him a place to live, offering connections with legal counsel … just across the board, people have been asking what they can do to help from within the club and within the community, and that that’s been amazing.”
“It has been touching to see the FMFC Academy family and the greater community rally around one of our members in a time of need,” Caloia said in a text message to Madison365. “It’s times like these that you realize how impactful the community around this Club can be.”
“It’s heartbreaking, it’s devastating for him. But there’s a lot of hope as well, with with the response from the community, and response from, you know, the club, and response from people who are involved in the club,” Hohlbein said. “The club’s committed to helping him. Conor is asking me every day, ‘what can we be doing? Is there something more we could be doing to help them?’ Incredibly grateful for the members of our club … It speaks to who our club is, from the professional side to the academy side. We’re a community, we’re a family, and we’re going to take care of our own.”
