Soccer Players Sidelined by Immigration Status

Esaul Mendoza, a flashy forward, led Orange County high school soccer players in scoring, often with the help of teammate Irving Islas, a sturdy midfielder. Goalkeeper Hilario Arriaga, with his guile and agility, kept opponents from scoring.

The trio of seniors formed the nucleus of an Estancia High team that won the Southern Section Division IV boys’ soccer championship last spring, and caught the attention of college recruiters.

But now the cheering has stopped and graduation day has passed and the boys don’t feel much like champions anymore. Mendoza, Islas and Arriaga--who played their hearts out for a chance at a college scholarship or a spot on the U.S. national team--abruptly learned that their status as illegal immigrants might dash their dreams.

Universities and community colleges seem no longer interested and the boys face an uncertain future.

What happened to Mendoza, 17, Islas 19, and Arriaga, 17, isn’t all that rare.

There are more than 800,000 illegal immigrants under the age of 18 in California, said Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute in Claremont, which specializes in Latino issues. Hundreds are Southland high school athletes, whose status bars them from taking their games to the next level in the United States.

What is unusual, however, is that the three have Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw on their side. He is helping them navigate legal hurdles to seek a student visa and other documentation that will allow them to pursue a college education and a chance to play the sport they love. He is not deterred by the uphill battle the boys face.

“I never anticipated that it would be easy,” Crenshaw said. “I’m not throwing up my hands.”

Just as illegal immigrants are limited in their ability to get a driver’s license or attain a work permit, their ability to enter a U.S. college or university is jeopardized.

Setting legal issues aside, many soccer officials lament that immigrant youngsters who were coached and groomed in the U.S. don’t have the opportunity to go on to play for a college or university--or the national team.

“There are numerous cases of kids [who] had the talent . . . but have had to stop short because of their citizenship problems,” said Steve Sampson, former U.S. national men’s team coach and now a director with the California Youth Soccer Assn. “The kids get punished and we get punished because of our inability to integrate them into the national-team process.”

Sampson said he wants soccer coaches statewide to be aware of the problems facing the Estancia boys. In turn, those coaches can advise their young immigrant players to decide whether it would be in their best interest to seek the documentation that would allow them to attend a college or university.

At the very least, coaches should make sure that their players don’t have false expectations about the future, he said.

“Some of these clubs are maybe using these kids for their talent,” said Vince Mirabella, executive director of CYSA-South. “When they’re through with them, they cast them aside.”

Sampson believes part of the problem is a lack of communication and a lack of good information. “A lot of these people live for the day, and don’t consider what can happen down the road.”

In fact, it only gets harder for illegal immigrants in the U.S. under the age of 18, INS officials said. Persons 18 or older who have been in the U.S. illegally for more than a year are barred from reentry for a decade.

“A lot of these parents bring their children here wanting to provide them with a better life,” said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. “But ironically, they may be closing the door on this opportunity by subjecting them to this bar.”

Immigration status is rarely--if ever--mentioned at the high school level. Coaches never address it, and kids ignore it.

Arriaga, for example, worked hard to juggle soccer practice and games with studying to maintain a 3.4 grade-point average. He dreamed of going to college this fall and becoming the first in his family to go beyond high school.

He had moved to Orange County from Mexico when he was 7, and never suspected he was any different from the rest of his classmates until his immigrant status was questioned on a college application.

“I guess [my parents] were afraid of losing their jobs,” he said. “It’s not their fault. It’s nobody’s fault. They came here to give us a better life. I thank them for that.”

Arriaga said he thinks the U.S. should encourage him and his teammates to better themselves.

“We’re actually helping the country by becoming successful men,” Arriaga said. “We’re not in the streets selling drugs. We’re trying to go to college, become professionals and help the economy.”

The young athletes agreed to talk to The Times because they want the public to know about their situations.

Islas, who was raised in Cuernavaca, a small town near Mexico City, came to the United States by himself three years ago to live with a family friend.

“It was tough leaving my parents, but at the same time I felt I needed to prove myself,” he said. “I needed to be independent and I wanted to get an education.”

Islas, who wants to become a computer technician, understands the barriers he is facing.

“The United States is protecting their land,” he said. “It’s like if somebody jumped into your backyard. I don’t blame anybody. I choose this for my life. I’m planning to become a successful person. I think I’m going about it the right way.”

Mendoza, who left Mexico City for the United States at the age of 6, had an unforgettable senior season. In 22 games, Mendoza--The Times’ Orange County player of the year--scored 47 goals, five shy of the county record. In five playoff games, he scored 13 goals, including four in Estancia’s 5-2 title-game victory over Torrance Bishop Montgomery.

Only 5 feet 7 and 130 pounds, Mendoza makes up for his lack of size with quickness and ball skills. By the end of the season, Mendoza was recruited by several California schools, including UC Irvine. Whether he attends college depends on the INS. Mendoza’s father filed citizenship paperwork with the help of an immigration attorney four years ago, but he said he is still awaiting the outcome.

The teens say they have some options. They have been offered the chance to return to Mexico and play professionally, albeit for a meager salary. Beginning salaries at lower levels are often less than $1,000 a month.

There is also the possibility of attending a university in Mexico. But they want to fight to stay in the United States.

“Even if we got an education in Mexico,” Islas said, “it’s really hard to find a job there. And the pay is terrible. That’s why we came here in the first place.”

Estancia Coach Crenshaw has grown close to the teens over the years. He has coached them at both the club and high school level. He and the boys are working with attorneys and immigration law experts to secure legal documentation that would allow them to enter school in the fall.

They are also coordinating efforts with Vanguard University Coach Dave McLeish to find a way to admit the Estancia High trio into the small Christian school in Costa Mesa, where yearly tuition is $13,310. McLeish said Mendoza would be awarded a full athletic scholarship. Funding for the other two players would come from private sponsors for the first year. After that, McLeish said he is confident the other two could receive partial scholarships.

An Argentine immigrant who is now a U.S. citizen, McLeish has recruited Jose Retiz and Tomas Serna, illegal immigrants who helped Santa Ana College win the 1999 and 2000 state community college soccer championships.

Retiz and Serna’s immigration status apparently went undetected at Santa Ana, but in March they were released by the Los Angeles Galaxy after it was discovered they were illegal immigrants.

“I want to do whatever I can to help all these kids,” McLeish said. “I want these kids to continue to play soccer, but I also want to see them get started in life. . . . I’m not giving up. What do we do, sweep them under the rug?”

Kice, the INS spokeswoman, said there is little to be done for the soccer players.

By law, youngsters cannot be excluded from public elementary schools, regardless of their legal status, which is why the Estancia teens never had a problem until this year.

Permanent residence status is granted to those who qualify by marriage, are sponsored by legal family members or employers or those seeking political asylum. None of those categories apply to the teens. The youths can attempt to gain temporary residence permits, but that requires several hurdles, including a student visa.

The Clinton administration is backing an amnesty bill that would grant citizenship to illegal immigrants who have been in this country since Jan. 1, 1986. But even if that bill is passed, it would not help any of the Estancia players, who immigrated after that date.

“I’m sure these are great kids who have distinguished themselves in high school,” Kice said. “They’re facing a terrible dilemma based on the best intentions of their parents. But a lot of people have been waiting outside this country, legally, for up to 20 years to get a visa. The system is designed to protect legal residents or citizens.”

She said it would be best if the boys and their families return to their native countries. She said the bar to college entry is just one of many limitations they face as illegal immigrants in the U.S.

“These kids ultimately have to look at the big picture,” Kice said. “They’ve benefited from being here. Now they can take what they’ve learned and contribute to their society. Or they can live a shadow-like existence here, working low-paying jobs and not getting anywhere. Is this really a better future?”

All three young men apparently think it is.

“If I went back [to Mexico], I wouldn’t know how to live,” Arriaga said. “I grew up here. I’d be legal in Mexico, but I’d feel like an immigrant. It’s a different life, a different culture.”