Epic Universe Performers Detained by ICE in Phoenix

Two acrobats from Argentina connected with the show “The Untrainable Dragon” at Universal’s Epic Universe park were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Both are being held in immigration detention.

Agustin Baccega, 42, and Gustavo Romanello, 34, flew from Orlando to Arizona for a friend’s funeral. According to friends, ICE agents first detained Baccega right after he stepped off the plane, and Romanello shortly afterward. Media reports say the detentions took place in early November. The sources do not agree on the exact date: one says Nov. 6, another says Saturday.

Both men have lived in the United States since 2020. They first lived in Arizona and worked at the Arizona Circus Center in Phoenix, where they were respected coaches and performers. They later moved to Florida and worked as acrobats, including in the show “The Untrainable Dragon” at Epic Universe.

A friend of both men, Jonathan Batchelor, told 12News that they came to the U.S. on visas and applied for asylum. According to him, they had work permits, paid taxes and had their documents in order.

ICE tells a different story. The agency says the arrests were part of a targeted operation and that both men overstayed their visas by several years. In a statement, ICE stressed that a work permit does not confer immigration status and does not prevent enforcement action, including arrest or deportation proceedings. Both men will remain in custody until their removal proceedings are complete.

A fellow cast member of “The Untrainable Dragon,” a vocalist credited as Neilen, told the Orlando Sentinel: “They are light, they are joy.” The detentions have also shaken the circus community in Phoenix. The Orlando Sentinel notes that across the country, federal judges have ruled against the government in thousands of cases involving detained migrants who sought a review of their requests for release on bond.

Source: Orlando Sentinel

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Source: Słoneczne Radio