DC youth baseball coach in ICE custody, faces deportation

A woman says her family is shaken after her husband was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this week.

Amaury Monsalve, who is from Venezuela, has permanent status and was seeking citizenship in the United States, his wife said.

He is known to many of his students as “Coach A.” His wife, Aniushka Monsalve, told News4 that for over 20 years, he has coached baseball for students at schools including Deal Middle School, Jackson Reed High School and Woodson High School.

His wife said his application was denied after an error was found on his permanent residency paperwork, which he filled out with an attorney.

He had a scheduled hearing in immigration court Monday. Just the morning before, she said he was stopped by police in D.C. while he was working as a chauffeur.

"They asked everybody to leave the car, to get out of the car, and they found an open container. They took everybody to the jail, to the station. Even though my husband was just a driver, he had to stay overnight, and when the next day come, and it was actually, he had to be in the Superior Court the same time he had to be in the immigration court.” Aniushka Monsalve said.

She said his attorneys attended the immigration hearing while she waited outside for his release.

“We waited and waited and waited until the end of the court, just about to close, and all the people inside, as they were turning off the lights, my son asked, ‘Where is my dad?’ And they told him, ‘ICE took him,’” Aniushka Monsalve said.

She said the judge had issued an ICE detainer, and although Amaury Monsalve’s attorney filed an appeal, within days he had been transferred to an ICE processing center in Louisiana.

A D.C. police report released after News4’s story aired says that in the car, officers found an open container of alcohol, a handgun and controlled substances.

Throughout the years, Amaury Monsalve’s dedication went beyond the field. He volunteered with the Arcadia Foundation, leading programs such as Voice of the Children, which provides baseball equipment and training for children in Venezuela.

His dedication also showed at home, where Aniushka Monsalve said he is a dedicated father to their two sons, who are both feeling his absence.

News4 reached out to ICE for comment on Amaury Monsalve’s detention. On Tuesday, a spokesperson responded saying, in part, that he had been "arrested for firearms, ammunition, drug, and open-container offenses."

The spokesperson continued, "His green card was revoked following immigration fraud proceedings, and an immigration judge ordered his removal on October 19. Work authorization or a pending application does NOT make you an American citizen or give you the right to remain in this country. He remains in ICE custody pending DEPORTATION."

A fundraiser was set up to help his family cover costs as they move through his immigration process.

Aniushka Monsalve said the possibility of him being deported to Venezuela terrifies her and that she fears for his safety.

He has an immigration hearing scheduled for Nov. 3.

Get the D.C. area's top news and weather delivered to your inbox every morning. Sign up for First & 4Most, our free newsletter.