Universal Epic Universe is packed with jaw-dropping moments, and some of the most memorable don't come from rides at all. On the Isle of Berk, guests can watch The Untrainable Dragon, a live show inspired by the How to Train Your Dragon films that features acrobatic performers.
Shows like that depend on highly trained artists who can make difficult tricks look effortless. For guests in the audience, it's a few minutes of magic. For the performers, it's often the result of years of work.
Now, two acrobats connected to that show are at the center of a story unfolding across the country, in Arizona.
Stopped at Sky Harbor
On Saturday morning, Augustin Baccega and Gustavo Romanello, two performers from Argentina, flew into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from Florida, according to public radio station KJZZ. Their friend Jonathan Batchelor said they were in town for a funeral.
Batchelor told KJZZ he was on the phone with Romanello when two men in plain clothes approached the pair inside the airport. According to Phoenix station 12News, friends said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents met the men as soon as they stepped off the plane.
KJZZ said a photo shared with the station shows Baccega being handcuffed by an agent dressed in a camo shirt and baseball cap. Batchelor told ABC News he could hear Romanello asking officers how he could collect his belongings.
Years in the Spotlight
The two men have called the United States home since 2020, according to 12News. Both are college graduates, and Romanello earned the title of valedictorian.
Their careers took them deep into the circus world. They spent several years at the Arizona Circus Center, building friendships with other performers there, before relocating to Florida. 12News reported that they went on to work at Walt Disney World Resort, and their work as acrobats has included The Untrainable Dragon at Universal Epic Universe. Photos of their performances appear on both men's Instagram accounts.
Back in Arizona, the news has shaken the local circus community, many of whom have known and worked alongside the pair for years. Fellow performer Crissy Jung told 12News she thinks they should be freed and allowed to come home to their friends.
“They Were Following the Process”
According to Batchelor, the men had done everything required of them. Speaking to 12News, he explained their path into the country: “They came to the U.S. on visas; they applied for asylum, and the U.S. confirmed their applications.”
He continued, “They were following the process. They had work permits; they were totally legal to be working. They were paying taxes and Social Security. All their documents were in order.”
Batchelor also told KJZZ that the two have valid work permits, pending immigration cases, and no criminal record.
He said the agents never explained to the men why they were being detained. “It's terrifying to have men who didn't identify themselves basically snatch you off the street,” Batchelor said.
Searching for Answers
“One of them we know is at the Florence Service processing center,” he told 12News. “The other we're told is being taken there, but we haven't been able to confirm that.”
He also described the conditions as he understands them. “They've now been for days without a blanket, a pillow, without anything to lay down on. They're in a room with hundreds of people with no idea as to what's happening.”
Those descriptions come from Batchelor, and we have not been able to independently confirm them.
What Officials Haven't Said
So far, we haven't seen any public explanation from immigration authorities. ICE did not respond to KJZZ's questions about the arrests, and 12News said it has not confirmed the legal basis for detaining the two men.
There's an important legal wrinkle here. A pending asylum application does not guarantee someone won't be detained. As 12News noted, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled on September 29 that a pending application alone isn't enough to show a person is unlikely to flee.
We also haven't seen any statement from Universal Orlando Resort or Walt Disney World Resort regarding the performers.
Keeping an Eye on This One
This story is still developing, and many questions remain unanswered, from the reason for the detentions to what comes next for both men. We'll continue to follow it and will update readers if ICE, Universal, or Disney comments, or if friends share new information.
For now, it's a reminder that the performers who make theme park shows so memorable are real people with lives and loved ones well beyond the stage.
If you've seen The Untrainable Dragon or caught these two performers at Walt Disney World, we'd like to hear from you in the comments. Immigration is a subject people care deeply about, so please share your thoughts thoughtfully and with respect for everyone involved.
