Note: This story was updated at 3:37 p.m. on Friday, July 17, to include comments from Sandoval and his fiancée‘s mother, Lynn Tiberio.
Savannah State University student-athlete Johan Sandoval is free from federal immigration custody, thanks in part to money raised from worried supporters in Coastal Georgia who donated toward his legal fund.
“I feel good, but I’m still processing everything,” Sandoval, 22, said to The Current GA after his release. “It was really hard being inside, especially in my mindset, because I was just wondering, ‘What happened? Why am I here?’”
The Dominican baseball player is currently living with his American fiancée, Adriana Wade, and her family in New York after being granted a $20,000 bond on Wednesday from a federal immigration judge while his lawyer works to get his student visa reinstated.
Sandoval was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a targeted operation on July 3 while staying with his fiancée in Clifton Park, New York. While he was held at an ICE processing center in New York under his full name of Johan Efrain Sandoval Rodriguez, a GoFundMe created by Sandoval’s family raised over $37,000 to cover the bond and other legal fees.
Attorney John Jeha, who works at law firm Harris Beach Murtha’s Syracuse office, said he’s grateful to win bond for Sandoval but dismayed the immigration judge has required him to wear an ankle monitor. Jeha said the bond order mentions the ankle monitor may be used around Savannah State University, but Wade said her fiancé will live with her family as they determine next steps.
“We thought that the bond being set at $20,000 was excessive,” Jeha also said. “He’s being treated like a criminal to a certain extent, and he doesn’t need to be. He’s not a criminal. He’s a good kid.”
Sandoval voiced gratitude for the judge’s decision to grant bond and described his time in custody as a “nightmare.” He said he was sleeping on the floor until he was transferred to another unit. While in custody, he helped translate for other detainees who didn’t speak English and found strength in his faith by starting a Bible study and praying alongside them.
The Dominican student’s invalid visa stemmed from administrative errors when transferring his documentation from his previous institution, Bryant & Stratton College in New York, to Savannah State University, where he enrolled in 2025 after receiving a full scholarship. Jeha said the error was not the Dominican student’s fault, and Sandoval reiterated that he was unaware of any issues before being confronted by ICE agents.
When foreign students decide to transfer institutions, their original institution is supposed to release their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record to the new school so they can process a new Form I-20 — a document confirming enrollment at a U.S. institution — and set their record to active.
Jeha previously told The Current GA that after Sandoval’s old I-20 was terminated at Bryant & Stratton, a new form was not successfully issued at SSU.
Maria Scalise, Bryant & Stratton College’s regional marketing director, cited student privacy laws as to why the college cannot comment on former students.
“However, the College has been following the case of alumnus, Johan Sandoval, very closely in recent weeks, and our community is relieved to see that he has been released from custody and returned safely to his loved ones,” she wrote.
Jeha confirmed that SSU issued Sandoval a new I-20, which should help him fight deportation to the Dominican Republic and instead continue his education and baseball career at SSU.
Sandoval was pursuing a degree in business administration at the university, played in every game for the Tiger’s 2026 baseball season and was expected to graduate next year. A press release from SSU described him as “a valued member of the Tiger family” and said the University is looking forward to welcoming the star baseball player back to campus.
“Following a thorough review, the University confirmed that it accurately prepared and submitted all required documentation based on the information available to it,” the press release states. “The documentation that became the subject of this matter was not provided to Savannah State University by Johan’s previous institution.”
Noah Brown, 21, pitched alongside Sandoval for two years before recently entering the transfer portal. Although Brown was relieved and grateful to hear of Sandoval’s release, he still has questions regarding how his friend was able to play at SSU over the past year when his visa expired in 2025.
Brown, an American citizen, said it’s “fishy” that Sandoval wasn’t made aware of his visa status earlier.
“I mean, they’re a university, so they have a lot going on,” he said of SSU. “But they’re messy in certain areas. I really, really hope that they’re helping them out as much as they can.”
Sandoval said he did everything required of him at SSU: keeping his grades up, attending class and, of course, playing the game he loved. He said international students cannot access immigration paperwork on their own, so students who now have concerns about their visa status after hearing about his case should visit their institution’s international student office to recheck with them.
SSU’s press release stated that the university has been in close contact with Sandoval, his family and his legal team. The university also shared a social media video on Wednesday with updates from its president, Dr. Jermaine Whirl. In the video, Whirl expressed his excitement around Sandoval’s release.
“I want to thank each of you that have called, sent letters, reached out, communicated, advocated via social media, in writing and in person on behalf of our Tiger,” Whirl said. “We know he’s going to get back home, he’s going to be reunited, and again, he’s going to have the ability to finish his studies right here at the Savannah State University.”
Sandoval shared his own gratitude for the SSU administration and local community for donating, sharing information about his case and reaching out to him and his loved ones. He’s hopeful about returning to SSU in the fall.
“I put my heart in everything I do, and I love baseball,” he said. “And we have a pretty good team.”
His fiancée Wade said she and Sandoval — as well as their families — are grateful to be reunited as they face the next steps in his case.
“I’m much better now that I know he is safe at home,” she said. “I know he is relieved to be back.”
Wade’s mother, Lynn Tiberio, said that as an American citizen, she’s realizing now just how convoluted the American legal system is, as well as how cruel people online can be when they don’t know Sandoval or his story.
“He’s been here for a few short years, and he’s accomplished more than most Americans will accomplish in their entire lifetime,” she said. “He’s what the immigration system was built for.”
ICE did not respond to requests for comment regarding Sandoval’s release. Melissa Sandoval, Johan Sandoval’s older sister, told The Current GA that the bond depleted about half the donations gathered from the GoFundMe, with more legal expenses expected to occur as the case advances.
The bond order requires frequent check-ins with ICE that are currently being held in New York, but Jeha said Sandoval should be able to return to SSU with his ankle monitor if he wishes. The legal team is actively working with Sandoval and his family to prepare for future court proceedings.
“We’re going to be there every step of the way,” Jeha said.
Even as he’s reunited with Wade and Tiberio, Sandoval is still processing his time in custody. And when the baseball player goes outside, he said people treat him differently when they notice his ankle monitor. He can see the fear and judgement in their eyes.
“That’s one of the things that breaks my heart,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I haven’t done anything, and I know God is going to show the world that it was like that.”
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