ICE took German Machado Guillen into custody outside his home in Batavia, New York. His union, United University Professions, identified him as a SUNY Brockport employee and says he has valid authorization to work in the United States. His wife says the couple sought asylum in 2016. DHS says he overstayed his authorized stay.

Three parties, three versions. DHS has the enforcement authority.

Guillen's wife says they came to the United States seeking asylum in 2016. That's her account per Yahoo News. Whether the asylum claim was granted, denied, or still pending is not clear from any source I can find. The union says he has valid work authorization. DHS says he overstayed. Those two claims may end up in the same immigration courtroom, and a judge will sort it out.

Twenty-six years of this work taught me a few things. An asylum application is not a visa. A pending case is not a green card. If your authorized stay runs out and you're still here, your status becomes a problem, regardless of what paperwork you filed. But pending asylum cases can come with work authorization, depending on the stage of the process. If Guillen had that, the union's claim holds up. If he didn't, the overstay charge sticks. No source available right now confirms which is true.

ICE detained him outside his Batavia home. That's what the record shows. Agents took him into custody and moved him into the system.

The union has staked a clear position: Guillen has valid work authorization. That's a meaningful claim. If it holds up in court, ICE has a problem. If it doesn't, the union stuck its neck out for nothing. The claim deserves to be tested, not ignored.

Guillen will get his day in immigration court. He can argue his case before a judge. If the judge orders removal, he can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. That process can take months or longer. Meanwhile, he stays in custody or gets released on bond depending on the circumstances.

Scoreboard: German Machado Guillen, detained. DHS says: overstay. Union says: valid work authorization. Wife says: 2016 asylum claim. Next stop: immigration court, where all three stories meet the law.