Some late breaking Thursday evening news came out in regards to the Slava Voynov epoch, which has taken yet another turn.
The 25-year old defenseman, who was serving a 90-day jail sentence that started on July 7th, has been taken into immigration custody and will face an immigration trial at an undetermined date.
Voynov detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement http://t.co/A6BxyWdukc
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) September 3, 2015ICE spokeswoman confirmed to me that Slava Voynov is in their custody. Faces immigration hearing at yet-undetermined date.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) September 3, 2015(ICE = U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
Voynov's detainment by ICE comes after he was released from prison in Seal Beach. Many speculated his "No contest" plea may have been the best course of action in preventing a revoke of his work visa in the United States. That does not appear to be the case, and ICE has now detained the Chelyabinsk native and are moving forward with a hearing. No date for the hearing is set as of yet.
Voynov signed a six-year, $25-million contract with the Kings in 2013 but has been suspended with pay by the NHL since his arrest. This development is just another twist in what has been a curvaceous tale already.
Criminal conduct is grounds for a work visa revocation, and Voynov should be treated as any other person who commits a crime would be. LA Times sports enterprise reporter, Nathan Fenno, tweeted out the following:
A veteran immigration lawyer on Voynov: "An individual with crimes like domestic violence is not in great shape in immigration court."
— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) September 3, 2015Also, in a quote from Josh Cooper of Yahoo's coverage on the matter:
After Voynov's release in Seal Beach, ICE took him into custody and is holding the Russian citizen at an unspecified detention facility pending a hearing by an immigration judge, an agency spokeswoman said Thursday.Because of the violent nature of Voynov's legal entanglement — which brought him to the attention of ICE in the first place — the agency didn't set a bond.
There's no firm timetable on when Voynov's immigration hearing might play out, but as you might guess, this is NOT a short process.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) September 3, 2015Ergo, do not expect a final ruling on this in the near future. However, it appears that it may be meandering towards an inevitable final chapter that ends in deportation.
More to come as this story develops.
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