After Mather student and mom detained by ICE, a school and soccer community are left reeling

As 18-year-old Ricardo Navarrete worked diligently to make his soccer dreams come true, most days looked like this: Wake up, go to school, go to practice and repeatThe teen and his mother, Liliana Navarrete, left Colombia and arrived in Chicago as asylum seekers in 2022. Ricardo kept pursuing his lifelong passion for soccer, believing that the sport could help him and his family succeed in their new country, and that maybe one day he could play professionally.He enrolled in school, found a local soccer club and became a standout player. Now a senior at Mather High School in West Ridge, Ricardo was ready for the next level. He committed to playing for community-college soccer powerhouse Truman College after graduation.But Ricardo’s college plans are uncertain after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took him and his mother into custody last month. Ricardo has described being held in cramped rooms with dozens of men and other tough conditions to friends and family.The detention has left the Mather community and Ricardo’s soccer club teammates reeling. It’s a reminder that while widespread immigration enforcement in Chicago has lessened, President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign is still affecting families and students in the city.Friends, family, teammates and community members held a rally for Ricardo and his mother on Thursday in West Ridge, calling for their release and an end to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy. They held signs that read “free our friend” and “estamos contigo Ricardo” — we’re with you Ricardo. Steven Navarrete spoke…

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