Harris Beach Murtha attorney John Jeha is currently receiving widespread media attention for his representation of a student-athlete detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Savannah State University student-athlete Johan Sandoval was detained by ICE on July 3. Sandoval, 22, is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States in 2022 on a student visa to attend Bryant & Stratton College. After obtaining an associates degree, he enrolled at Savannah State University to study and play baseball.
However, John Jeha, a member of the firm’s Immigration Practice Group, said an administrative paperwork error led to Sandoval’s student visa being invalid when he was detained by ICE. He has since been released and is back with family; however, the case is not concluded, Jeha said.
“It’s a bureaucratic mistake that has resulted in catastrophic consequences,” John told The Current GA.
According to John, along with a student visa, foreign students also must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, known as a Form I-20, from their educational institution. If a student moves to another school, their first school sends the student’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record to the new institution, which is to process a new I-20 and set their SEVIS record to “active” within 30 days.
John said Sandoval’s I-20 paperwork was terminated at Bryant & Stratton and not successfully issued by Savannah State. According to ICE, Sandoval’s student visa was terminated in April of 2025.
John said Savannah State issued a new I-20 for Sandoval on July 6. While Jeha was able to secure his release from an ICE facility and the new I-20 should help him stay in the country, there is still much work to do on the case and Jeha expects more media attention to come.
Below are links to some of the publications that have covered Sandoval’s case and interviewed John. We will update as new coverage comes in.
Administrative error led to ICE arrest of Savannah State student-athlete, attorney says
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Attorney: Savannah State player’s ICE detention a paperwork error with ‘catastrophic consequences’
WJCL-TV
