The tournament’s five-a-side format reflects the football many participants played inside detention centres, where limited space made small-sided matches possible. Former detainees Pedro Ayón and Serafín Andrade found football there to be one of the few opportunities for social contact.
The report says players came from different backgrounds and countries, but the game created a shared language. At CCIJust Goals, men and women play together, with teams also responsible for fundraising before taking part.
That combination changes the meaning of an amateur fixture. A pass, a tackle or a goal becomes part of a wider conversation about migration, family separation and life after detention.
Edwin Carmona-Cruz, executive director of the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, says the money raised helps provide legal support to detained immigrants. The event also places lawyers and clients in a setting far removed from hearings and legal paperwork.
Lee Ann Felder-Heim, an immigration lawyer who has played in several editions, has described the tournament as a chance to celebrate something participants share. Her role shifts from advocate to midfielder, helping break down the distance between professional representation and personal connection.
For one detainee watching remotely on a tablet, the event represented “É outra conexão” - another connection. That distance underlines both the tournament’s reach and the people still unable to join it in person.
The next challenge for CCIJust Goals is to keep growing that connection: returning to the pitch, raising more support for legal services and ensuring football remains a source of community for those navigating detention and uncertainty.