A 12-year-old boy has been left in distress after being told he would be deported by Donald Trump during a youth soccer match. The boy, identified as Max, was filmed by his mother shortly after the game as he recounted the verbal abuse from an opposing player.
In the video, which has been viewed millions of times, Max explains that the opposing team’s goalkeeper called him an “illegal immigrant.” Despite being born in the United States, Max was told that the newly inaugurated president would “get him” and send him back to where he “used to live.”
“I was born in America,” the boy says through tears in the emotional clip. “I don’t live anywhere else.”
Political rhetoric on the playground
The incident occurred as the United States marked the inauguration of Donald Trump for a second term. Critics say the video is a stark example of how heated political narratives regarding immigration can trickle down into children’s spaces, leading to targeted bullying.
The footage was originally shared by the Tennessee Holler and has since drawn widespread condemnation from parents and community leaders. Many have expressed concern that children are being used as proxies for adult political divisions.
Max’s mother stated that she chose to share the video not to create controversy, but to highlight the real-world consequences of certain language. “Kindness matters,” she said. “And it starts with how we treat one another.”
Support from the sporting world
The video has triggered an outpouring of support for the young player, including from the professional soccer community. Michael Parkhurst, a former Major League Soccer (MLS) defender, was among those who responded publicly.
Parkhurst offered to send Max a jersey, joining thousands of others who have reached out to offer words of encouragement. “I just don’t get why kids say those stuff,” Max said in the video. “It makes me really sad that they think they have power and it’s just not nice.”
The incident follows previous studies suggesting a link between anti-immigrant political climates and increased bullying rates for Asian American students in elementary and middle schools.
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