- Sebastian Jimenez, a 17-year-old Gainesville High athlete, was detained by ICE and taken to a Texas facility with his mother on August 22.
- Jimenez's stepfather and 28-year-old sister were detained separately in Jacksonville and are held in different ICE facilities.
- Jimenez and his mother won bond at an expedited hearing, allowing them to return home earlier than the originally scheduled date.
Sebastian Jimenez, the Gainesville High School student-athlete who was taken from his Gainesville apartment, along with three family members, and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Aug. 22, is coming home.
ICE transported the 17-year-old Venezuelan, who plays football, soccer and baseball at GHS, to a Texas detention facility, along with his mother.
The teen’s stepfather is Brazilian and was transported to a Jacksonville ICE facility, along with Jimenez’s 28-year-old sister, who is Venezuelan. His stepfather was also released on bond on Thursday and his sister’s bond hearing is set for Wednesday, Sept. 9.
A bond hearing for Jimenez and his mom was originally set for next Tuesday, but it was moved up to today.
On Thursday morning, a text message from GHS football coach Ashour Peera said, “He’s coming home. Bond was approved for him and mom.”
“Man, I don’t even know what I’m feeling,” said Peera in a phone call. “I broke down after I found out that the bond was approved. Last minute, I had a chance to sit in on the hearing and actually got to speak during his hearing as a witness for their character.”
Peera called it “a scary experience.”
“I was shaking while I was speaking to the government prosecutors and the judge, but you could only imagine how they felt,” he said.
Jimenez and his mom are currently getting bonded out, which should be in the next few hours. They already have their cell phones and belongings back in their possession.
Peera said once they are out, they will be able to call from their cell phones.
“And then the plan is to see where we need to fly them out of to get them back as quickly as possible,” he said. “We just want to make sure they get here safely, get back in their home, and then I don’t see why he wouldn’t come back to school because that’s part of him getting back to normal.”
According to Peera, a court date for their next hearing, along with check-ins they have to do, are part of the next steps in the process.
“We’ll get all those details and make sure that it’s all taken care of so they won’t miss anything,” Peera said. “And then we’ll just keep plugging away until they’re permanently here.”
A GoFundMe page was created for the family after they were detained. It currently has nearly $18,000 in donations raised.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with information on Sebastian Jimenez’s sister and stepfather.