An Angolan soccer player arrested by ICE in Maine last month has been denied bond. His lawyer said it's part of an unprecedented move by the federal government to enforce mandatory detention for certain immigrants.
Malunda Destino entered the country without authorization several years ago, and is pursuing an asylum claim.
His lawyer, David Spitzer, said an immigration judge today declined to consider the merits of his bond request, citing a recent decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals that immigration judges lack the authority to grant bond to people who entered the country without authorization.
He said it's part of the Trump administration's efforts to boost deportations.
"They're planning to pick up, you know, potentially hundreds of thousands of people in Malunda's situation, and deprive them of any opportunity to seek release," he said. "We're going to see, essentially, people who are put through an unfair system without due process, without justice, and the inability to get a fair hearing on whether they should remain in custody."
A judge ruled against his asylum claim in 2023, but Spitzer said an appeal is pending.
Destino was arrested by ICE last month at a gas station in Scarborough, according to his friends. He plays for the Lewiston-based Maine Legends FC, a semiprofessional soccer club, and is expecting a child with his girlfriend.
Spitzer said the next step in his case is asking a federal judge to order his release through a habeas corpus petition. Destino is currently detained at a prison in Berlin, New Hampshire.
