Malunda Destino, a semi-professional soccer player for the Lewiston-based Maine Legends FC, was arrested by ICE in the last weeks of August. 

According to Destino, friends of Choisie Nyemba, who spoke with Destino from jail, said that “ICE agents approached Destino at a gas station in Scarborough, where he was parked, and asked him to step out of the car, or they would break the windows.” The reason Destino was arrested is still uncertain. 

The situation gets worse with now many immigrant players on the team, afraid to attend practices with the threat of getting deported. Manuel Vemba, the captain of the team, says “that a sense of fear has crept into the club.”

According to ICE’s online database, Destino is held at a correctional facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Records show that a judge issued a removal order for Destino in 2023, but the appeal of the case is pending. According to the Portland Press Herald, ICE states that Destino will be held in custody until there’s a decision on his appeal. 

As of right now, the team is raising money to help support Destino’s pregnant girlfriend and aid in his legal fees. Destino, who is viewed by his friends and family as someone who is always there to help and inspire other people, left a big hole to be filled with his energy, his compassion, his love for music, food, and the amazing defender that he is, always helping other people and always ready to support.