A Dominican-born baseball player at Savannah State University, a historically Black university in Savannah, Georgia, has been detained by federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement just weeks after the college baseball season ended.
Johan Sandoval, a utility player for Savannah State born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who just finished his junior year, was detained by ICE agents at an apartment complex in Clifton Park, N.Y., near the state capital of Albany, where he lived with his fiancee and her mother, according to a report from The Grio. A GoFundMe site started by the family said that he was detained on July 3. A search of ICE detainees on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website did not return any results for a detainee named Johan Sandoval born in the Dominican Republic.
Weeks before his detention, Sandoval was named the MVP of the 2026 HBCU Baseball All-Star Game in Kannapolis, North Carolina. In the 2026 season, Sandoval batted .346 with five homers and 51 RBIs and was the only Savannah State player to appear in all 47 games.
According to a report from The Daily Gazette, a newspaper based in nearby Schenectady, Sandoval’s family claimed his detention was due to an error in his F-1 student visa paperwork. They did not know that Sandoval’s visa was expired until ICE agents stopped him in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he was living.
“Johan was unexpectedly detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after issues arose concerning his F-1 student status. We are working diligently with Savannah State University, immigration professionals, and legal counsel to resolve his case and pursue every available legal avenue so that he can continue his education,” Sandoval’s sister, Stacey Sandoval, wrote in the description of the GoFundMe campaign she started on his behalf. “This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional experience for our family. Johan has no criminal history and has spent his time in the United States pursuing his education, serving his community, and striving toward a brighter future.”
Sandoval played at Bryant and Stratton College before transferring to Savannah State, where “he volunteers within the local community, completed ROTC leadership training, and became a respected member of the university community. Those who know Johan describe him as humble, disciplined, compassionate, and deeply committed to his education,” the GoFundMe campaign said.
According to the report from The Grio, Sandoval has been transported to ICE’s Buffalo Service Processing Center in Batavia, New York, where he is currently being held.
“I’m aware and have been working with his family and immigration attorney from the beginning,” Savannah State president Dr. Jermaine Whirl said in a statement provided by Savannah State Alumni Group OneSSU to Savannah’s WJCL 22 NEWS.
Photo: Savannah State baseball player Johan Sandoval has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to multiple reports. (Photo courtesy of Savannah State Athletics)
