Key member of Sunland Derby winner having serious visa issues

ABC-7 has confirmed a change has been forced on “Firing Line’s” training team.

A key team member, in trouble with the law.

“Firing Line” earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby by winning the Sunland Derby on March 22. He won by more than 14 lengths and set a track record! The developments might be unsettling for anyone hoping for the same magic May 2 in Louisville.

That’s because the exercise rider for “Firing Line” was detained last week by immigration officials in El Paso. Irishman Paul Eddery was excited about the horse he’s working with running in the Kentucky Derby. But now he’s stuck in an immigration detention facility in El Paso and it’s unclear when he’ll be released.

“He had a flight on Monday going from El Paso to LAX,” Eddery’s fiance, Kristin Sztyndor told ABC-7 from Los Angeles, after he was detained by immigration officials in El Paso before boarding that flight. “My phone rings and it’s from him. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ And he’s like, ‘I’m getting deported. I’m in handcuffs.'”

El Paso immigration attorney Cynthia Lopez said immigration officials told her he entered the United States as part of a visa waiver program.

“The only crime is he overstayed a visa that he didn’t even realize he was overstaying,” Lopez said. “If he did enter under the visa waiver program, he doesn’t have the right to fight his removal before an immigration judge.”

Since being arrested last Monday afternoon at El Paso International Airport, Eddery has been held at the immigration detention facility at Hawkins and Montana. His attorney says he could be there for months.

“He will be removed as soon as they can put him on a plane, basically, which is an issue because they can’t put him on a plane.” Lopez said. “They told him it may be a couple months. He’s detained like a criminal and that’s one of things that’s really frustrating for him. He says, ‘I didn’t commit any crime. I haven’t done anything wrong.’ He says, ‘This is worse than they treat murderers in London.'”

Meanwhile, his fiance, who started a Facebook page to try and drum up support for his release, sits and waits.

“Just living in this uncertainty is just so unbearable,” Sztyndor said. “It’s like sometimes I can’t even wrap my head around that this is actually happening.”

Sunland Park officials had no comment when contacted about Eddery’s arrest. ABC-7 also didn’t hear back from the feds.

Eddery’s fiance said she’s also hired an out of town attorney to help with his case. ABC-7 will keep you posted on Eddery’s status.