Cuban soccer player hopes to defect to U.S.

A Cuban national soccer team player who apparently wants to defect to the United States met with immigration officials in Seattle on Monday.

"Based upon information provided, he might be willing to change his immigration status in the U.S.," said Mike Milne, a spokesman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The man will likely meet with an immigration judge in the coming days, Milne said. He can either meet with a judge locally or petition to have the case moved to a court outside of Seattle.

The Cuban team traveled to Seattle to play Gold Cup games Thursday and Saturday. Cuba lost 4-1 to the U.S. team Thursday and 3-1 to Costa Rica on Saturday. Both games were played at Qwest Field.

Forward Maikel Galindo was one of two players did not show up for the team's next Gold Cup game, in Foxboro, Mass., last night, a Spanish-language television station reported. Neither played and they could not be seen on the bench.

Galindo was interviewed Monday by immigration officials in Seattle, who have placed him in immigration proceedings, said Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

"When he goes before the judge, he will explain to the judge whether or not he wants to stay in this country and what the basis of his claim is," Kice said Wednesday.

The judge at that hearing will determine whether Galindo can stay in the United States. If he is ordered deported, he can appeal through the federal court system.

The other Cuban player who failed to suit up yesterday, backup goalkeeper Odelin Molina, did not approach immigration officials, Kice said.

Linda Thielke, a King County Metro spokeswoman, said a player got on a bus in North Seattle on Saturday evening. She said the driver, despite a language barrier, realized it was an immigration issue and contacted Seattle police.

Milne said immigration requests commonly are accepted from Cubans who make known their desire to defect while on U.S. soil.

For more than 40 years, Cuban refugees have routinely been given asylum in the United States.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times staff reporter José Miguel Romero and The Associated Press contributed to this report.