Sitting in a Kentucky jail holding detained immigrants, more than 300 miles from home, Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete sometimes lost hope. Hope that he would return to Rogers Park, where the 18-year-old Colombia-born Chicago Public Schools student lives with his mother and older brother. Hope that he would once again run up and down the soccer pitch with his classmates, scoring goals and stopping ...

Mather High School senior Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete flashes a smile as he walks on stage before receiving his diploma during his graduation ceremony at Loyola University Chicago on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Chicago.

Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Sitting in a Kentucky jail holding detained immigrants, more than 300 miles from home, Ricardo Hernandez-Navarrete sometimes lost hope.

Hope that he would return to Rogers Park, where the 18-year-old Colombia-born Chicago Public Schools student lives with his mother and older brother.

Hope that he would once again run up and down the soccer pitch with his classmates, scoring goals and stopping the opponent’s attacks.

Hope that he would graduate from Mather High School and continue his education in pursuit of a better life than the one he and his family left in South America.

But no matter how dark it got in his cell, no matter how much hope had vanished, Ricardo told the Tribune he never lost faith that he would be back in Chicago.

“For some people, it would be impossible, but everything is possible if you believe in God,” Ricardo said.

On Thursday, his faith was rewarded when he walked across the stage at Loyola’s Gentile Arena and Mather principal Gary Tesinsky shook his hand.

As Ricardo filed in alongside the graduating class of 2026, families cheered their children as they marked one of modern life’s milestones. His mother, Martha Liliana Navarrete, sat in the front row with her older son Steven, family friend Kristy Morrow and Ricardo’s soccer coach, Costel Serban. She smiled and waved enthusiastically at Ricardo.

In remarks from the stage, Leadership Greater Chicago CEO Myetie Hamilton praised the students, many of whom are first-generation, and gave a personal shoutout to Ricardo and his family and a broader message to the graduates.

“I want you to know that this community stands in solidarity with you today for the right of humanity, of our immigrant families. Graduates, you are entering a world where your voices matter more now than ever before,” she said. “You have both the power and the responsibility to act — not just today, but throughout your lives. Speak out against injustice, stand firm in your values, and meet the challenges that come with doing what is right.”

For Ricardo, the graduation ceremony marked the latest twist in a journey that’s drawn national attention.

Originally from Colombia, Ricardo and his mother came to the United States in 2022, when he was 15 years old. She filed for asylum and that petition remains pending, court records show.

But during a routine check-in for the family’s asylum case, ICE agents arrested the mother and son. Each of them was taken to Kentucky jails for detention, but the government separated them and held them in different facilities.

For two months, the mother and son had almost zero face-to-face contact. But then on May 19, a federal judge issued an order releasing Navarrete, along with 17 other people who have been held without bond in western Kentucky.

The mother and son reunited earlier this week when he was released from custody and she picked him up in Crown Point, Indiana.

Ricardo is a well-liked member of the community who also plays soccer with iProSkills Academy, where he is a valued contributor, Serban said. Mather’s soccer team Instagram account said he committed to play for the Truman College soccer team in the fall.

His soccer family raised funds to hire an immigration attorney, Kelli Fennell, who vigorously fought for his release. They kept in touch while he was behind bars and let him know he wasn’t forgotten.

Morrow, whose son plays soccer with Ricardo, was one of his leading supporters. She created a GoFundMe and developed a close relationship with his family. While Ricardo was in jail, Morrow said she would talk to him and forget he was a kid some nights.

“He was very serious,” Morrow said. “He sounded old.”

But ever since his release, Morrow said, “he’s a kid again.”

On Wednesday, Ricardo returned to an ICE office downtown for a check-in. Morrow accompanied him and his mother downtown and then drove him back to school, where he and his teammates played.

“He gave me the hugest fist bump I’ve ever received and jumped out of my car giddy that he got to play soccer again,” she said.

Hours before his graduation, Ricardo reflected on his journey.

“I feel happy, very happy, to be outside, to be with my friends, my family, with the people who support me,” Ricardo said. He is focused on rebuilding his life.

The first thing Ricardo did when he got home was eat a steak, he said. Then he went back to school to train. Two months in immigrant detention hurt his conditioning but he is training to come back stronger.

“I need to continue with my studies,” Ricardo said. “I need to continue with my life.”

He said he doesn’t know exactly what’s next. But he carries the advice given to him by his Kentucky cellmates.

“They said keep moving forward, keep living my life, and don’t forget them,” he said.

And he knows that, despite the pain he’s endured since his arrest, he is lucky.

“There are so many people in there who didn’t do anything wrong and are stuck there,” Ricardo said. “There are so many people in there who didn’t do anything wrong. We all deserve a second opportunity. The majority of people in there are good people.”

Before the ceremony began Thursday, Ricardo joined his mother and brother in their Sunday best outside the arena. The young men smiled as their mother beamed. She told reporters she was “muy orgullosa.” Very proud.

During graduation, as Ricardo’s homeroom lined up, his family pulled out their cellphones to record. As his name was called and the principal shook his hand, the arena roared loudly. His mother stood until he returned to his seat, a huge smile on her face.

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