ICE detains Florida college senior at Atlanta airport

Upset and distraught. That's how the family of a University of Florida student is feeling tonight after he was detained by ICE while waiting for his flight at the Atlanta airport. Now his stepfather is publicly pleading and fighting to bring him home. Fox 5's Ray Arena spoke to the students' family and joins us now here in studio with more, Ray. Yeah, Tom and Courtney, and the family says that they were distraught when Juan Sanchez, who is from Ecuador, called them last week telling them that he had been taken into custody by ICE. And since then, the family has tried everything to get him home and hope that sharing his story can help do that. He is just this angel. Juan Sanchez is a senior at the University of Florida studying chemical engineering. His stepfather, Sean, describes him as loving, kind, and dedicated to his education. He's staying up until, and I'm not exaggerating, three, four o'clock in the morning. Study, but last Tuesday at Hartsfield Jackson, while waiting at the gate for his connection back to Gainesville, Florida, ICE agents detained Sanchez. Sean says his stepson was on the way back to school after visiting Chicago for an interview with Nestle. They didn't give him any indication why they were talking to him. They just simply asked if he was Juan and his last name. And Once they figured just that part out, they took him into custody. They handcuffed him. Sean says his stepson entered the country in 2019 along with his mother and sister under a tourist visa, which they overstayed. He says Sanchez has no criminal record, had a pending asylum application and a work authorization valid through 2030. He actually started the asylum process under his mother. Because at the time that he moved here, he was 16, so he wouldn't have been able to start it on his own. His family says Sanchez is currently being held at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin. Sean says he will do everything he can to bring his stepson home. He doesn't meet the criteria of somebody dangerous that should be detained. He's a wonderful person and a college student that loves this country. We reached out to ICE for more information on Sanchez's case, but we have yet to hear back Tom and Courtney. And we understand that the family got an update. What did they hear today? Yeah, they heard today from their immigration attorneys that they do have a bond hearing that's scheduled for next Friday for Juan Sanchez. But though the family tells me that there's no guarantee that he will end up getting that bond. I'm just really surprised that he was He was even able to attend the University of Florida without The student visa in place, but I guess they'll sort all that out when he appears before an immigration judge. Ray, thanks so much.