Two 19-year-old soccer players at Wallace State Community College remain in federal custody after a traffic stop in Talladega County turned into an immigration detention that has upended their family's life. Luis and Carlos Orta-Santoro, Venezuelan brothers connected to the college, were arrested by ICE on Nov. 5, according to a DHS statement, and their parents say the ordeal has left the whole family shaken.
According to WAFF, the twins remain in immigration custody following the traffic stop in Talladega County. Their father told WBRC that an officer stopped the twins for allegedly failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. The family says the incident began along Interstate 20 near Lincoln, Alabama, and that Luis was accused of not remaining stopped long enough at the sign — an account attributed entirely to the family, as DHS has not provided details about the reported traffic stop.
Family Says Brothers Were Headed Back to Campus
The parents told WSFA that the brothers were returning to school after visiting family in Georgia when they were pulled over. The family also says the brothers had no criminal records or history and had never received a traffic ticket before. As reported by WBMA, in the original seed account, the parents said they were informed Tuesday morning that the brothers would be transferred from Alabama to Louisiana.
Court and detention records tell part of the story differently. The Cullman Tribune reported that Talladega County booking records list the brothers' arrests at 2:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, followed by a Nov. 5 release from county jail to an ICE hold — with each booking listing only one entry, “HOLD FOR ICE,” and no traffic charge. The Tribune also noted that Lincoln police signed an ICE task force agreement back on July 20, though the booking records do not establish whether the officer who stopped the brothers was acting under that agreement.
Competing Accounts of Legal Status
The parents maintain their sons followed the rules from the start. They say they filed an asylum application within six months of arriving in the United States, entering by airplane and following established procedures. The parents also told WSFA that the brothers hold pending political asylum cases involving Venezuela and work permits that do not expire until 2030, and they say the family has had Temporary Protected Status since 2023, with driver's licenses also valid through 2030.
DHS, in its statement, offers a different timeline. The department said both brothers legally entered the United States on June 21, 2022, with temporary permission to stay that has since expired, and that the brothers overstayed their authorized time in the country. DHS said pending applications do not confer legal status, and the department did not specifically address the family's assertions about TPS and work permits. Per the Cullman Tribune, a DHS spokesperson named Egan said, “All of their claims will be heard by an immigration judge, and they will receive due process.”
Detention Location Shifted
Where exactly the brothers are being held has shifted across reports. WSFA reported the family was told the twins were being held in Pickens County and expected to be transferred to a Louisiana ICE facility. WBRC later reported the brothers were being held at the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana. The parents said their sons have valid driver's licenses, work permits and immigration documents, and the family said it has legal representation, with attorneys reviewing the case.
An immigration attorney, Joshua Crumbley, told WAFF that the brothers could potentially qualify for bond and pursue their asylum cases outside detention. The same report distinguished having work authorization while an asylum case is pending from being protected against detention, noting that permission to work does not necessarily shield a person from being taken into custody.
A Family Grappling With the Fallout
The twins' father, Carlos Orta, said his family and sons were deeply distressed by the arrests, and the parents said the ordeal has devastated the family. Reyna Santoro de Orta said she has struggled to sleep and worries about her sons' psychological well-being. The parents, whose comments were translated by a relative and translation technology, said they are seeking due process and consideration of their sons' individual circumstances. The family has also established a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover immigration attorneys, legal expenses and potential bond payments.
Wallace State Community College has expressed concern for Luis and Carlos, saying both brothers are valued members of the college community. The school said it complies with applicable federal and state regulations governing admissions, financial aid and NJCAA athletic eligibility policies, but it has not provided additional details about the brothers' individual circumstances, citing student privacy laws. Their soccer coach described them to WSFA as “incredible human beings” and “fantastic student athletes.” According to the Cullman Tribune, Luis converted one of Wallace State's six penalty kicks in a shootout win over Patrick & Henry on Oct. 31, a result that helped the team qualify for the Division II national tournament.
Federal Policy Backdrop
DHS has separately encouraged people without lawful immigration status to use a federal self-deportation program, offering $3,000 and a free flight to those who leave voluntarily, according to the department's statement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's CBP Home page describes the program as offering cost-free travel, the exit bonus and forgiveness of failure-to-depart fines for those who register through its mobile app. It says ICE will continue to prioritize removal for people unlawfully residing in the United States, a process that often results in detention and rapid removal and could result in a permanent bar.
Separately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has noted that the Supreme Court allowed termination of the 2023 Venezuela Temporary Protected Status designation to take immediate effect on Oct. 3, 2025. Temporary Protected Status is a federal designation that can provide eligible people from certain countries temporary protection from removal and work authorization, though the available federal material does not resolve how that ruling applies to the brothers' individual cases.
