Savannah State baseball player speaks out after ICE detention

by Cam McCann

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah State University baseball player Johan Sandoval is speaking out after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for nearly two weeks.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Savannah State baseball player detained by ICE; family seeks answers

Sandoval was detained on July 3 and held until July 15 due to what his attorney described as a paperwork issue outside of his control. He has since been released under two conditions: a $20,000 bond and a requirement to wear a GPS ankle monitor.

SEE: Savannah State baseball player released from ICE custody

For a 22-year-old who was arrested and detained in an ICE facility for almost two weeks, he told WTOC he’s just happy to be back in his bed. Given the circumstances when we talked to him he was in good spirits.

‘Am I a good person?’

Sandoval said his time inside the ICE facility left him questioning himself.

“It was like a nightmare, you know? Like I was thinking and I have a lot of thoughts on my mind and just repeating ‘am I a good person? Why am I here?’” Sandoval said.

He said he also feels he is being perceived unfairly by others following his release.

“I can just see it in their eyes that they’re judging me, that they look like I’m a criminal, you know? It’s really hard,” Sandoval said.

Attorney disputes DHS account

The Department of Homeland Security argued Sandoval attempted to flee custody at the time of his detention. His attorney, John Jeha, disputed that characterization.

“We believe this is a complete mischaracterization, and is completely misleading. We disagreed with that narrative,” Jeha said.

Sandoval said he was stopped by ICE on his way to the gym. He said agents asked him to return to his fiancée’s family’s home in Clifton Park to retrieve his passport.

“I didn’t have any knowledge that my status was in danger and anything was going bad,” Sandoval said.

‘I would never put none of this in danger’

The SSU second baseman said he would have complied with any request made of him.

“I’ve been working a lot and really hard to get to this position, and trust me I would never put none of this in danger,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval thanked his family, teammates, Savannah State University, and more than 800 donors to his GoFundMe campaign for their support during his detention.

“It was amazing, without them I wouldn’t be here right now,” he said.

Sandoval still has court appearances ahead. His attorney said it is not yet known when the legal process will conclude. Both Sandoval and Jeha said they believe he will return to play his senior season for the Savannah State Tigers.