Bryan Gamez, an 18-year-old senior soccer player at Thomas Jefferson High School, looks through the field house window while waiting out a rain delay before a game on February 24, 2018 in Dallas. Bryan, who was born in El Salvador, emigrated with his mother and younger brother in 2014 after he was recruited by Mara Salvatrucha, one of the largest street gangs in Central America. For the past four years, Gamez and his family have acclimated to American life while their asylum request has remained unsettled.

Thomas Jefferson goalkeepers practice on December 14, 2017 at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas. Although Thomas Jefferson, known locally at "TJ," is surrounded by the sprawling estates of one of Dallas' wealthiest, primarily-white neighborhoods, its student body is 94 percent Hispanic and 86 percent economically disadvantaged. While the school district does not keep records of students' immigration statuses, teachers and students at TJ estimate 60 to 70 percent of the students were not born on U.S. soil.

Bryan Gamez, center, lounges with teammates in a hotel room before playing in an out-of-town tournament on January 12, 2018 in Georgetown, Texas. The trip, for which the team raised money, was the first time several of the high schoolers had ever slept in a hotel.

Cesar Escobar, who emigrated from Honduras to escape gang violence in 2015, celebrates a goal in the first game of the Governor's Elite Cup tournament on January 11, 2018 in Georgetown, Texas. "It's was like a dream, you know" said Cesar, who was named the team's offensive MVP last year, "a dream to be in the United States and won a trophy of your whole school - you know, some guy that didn't speak English."

Thomas Jefferson soccer players Antonio De Leon, Hugo Avina and Juan Romano, left to right, shave coach Mark Wolveck's head after being named district champions on March 26, 2018. Wolveck, who has coached at Thomas Jefferson for 8 years, empathizes with his immigrant players. "I know there's laws in place and the reason why the laws are in place," he said, "but I can't fault anybody for being in that situation. Because I would do the same thing, in my opinion."

Team captain Juan Romano leaps over teammate Hugo Avina during an end-of-season party at head coach Mark Wolveck's house on May 20, 2018 in Richardson, Texas.

Cesar Escobar, Sergio Mendez Mejia, and Bryan Gamez joke around while washing Bryan's father's car before practice on January 1, 2018. Escobar, Gamez, and Mendez Mejia all emigrated from Central America in the past four years to escape gang violence. They are known on the team as the "majes" (pronounced "MAH-hays") - a Central American slang word loosely translated as "dude."

Teammates crowds around an arcade game trying to win stuffed animals for their girlfriends at a CiCi's pizza restaurant on January 12, 2018 while competing in an out-of-town tournament in Georgetown, Texas.

Cesar Escobar, Sergio Mendez Mejia, and Bryan Gamez play video games at Bryan's apartment before practice on January 1, 2018 in Dallas.

The "majes" walk home after returning from an out-of-town tournament on January 13, 2018. Only one player's family made the 3-hour trip to Georgetown to watch the tournament. "They’re all scared of deportation," said team captain Juan Romano, "And that’s just here in Dallas. Imagine if we would tell 'em to come down here to Austin or Georgetown. The first thing a Hispanic mom or Central American mom would say would be, 'No, there’s a lot of cops there. What if you get stopped? It’s over for us.'"

Thomas Jefferson players pray over Danny Leon, an avid supporter of the team who was recently diagnosed with cancer, during an end-of-season party at coach Mark Wolveck's house on May 20, 2018 in Richardson, Texas.

A typically sparse crowd dots the stands as Thomas Jefferson plays an early season game on January 5, 2018 in Dallas. Long-hour jobs and the fear of deportation keeps most parents from attending games regularly. "They have other priorities," said team captain Juan Romano, "and we just have to deal with it."

Families of Thomas Jefferson High School students stand for the playing of the national anthem during the school's graduation ceremony on May 29, 2018 in Addison, Texas.

Cesar Escobar, who emigrated from Honduras in 2015 to escape gang violence, fills out a mock naturalization test during his U.S. government class on December 4, 2018 at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas.

Bryan Gamez sits at his family's kitchen table as he discusses the uncertainty of his immigration status on November 8, 2018. "I know there's other immigrants, but I also know there's many laws that don't allow me to be here," Bryan said. "I have to live every day like it was my last one in the United States."

Bryan Gamez's mother Lilian cries as she discusses her deportation order on April 20, 2018 at her apartment in Dallas. Lilian, who emigrated from El Salvador with her two sons to protect them from gang recruitment, applied for asylum in the U.S. after crossing the border in 2014. After four years of court dates and appeals, her request was ultimately denied and Lilian was given one month to self-deport.

Bryan Gamez plays with the family dog as his mother Lilian mops the floor of the trailer home they recently moved into on July 5, 2018. After Lilian's asylum request was denied and she was ordered to self-deport, the family tried to rent another apartment in the same neighborhood but lost $2000 in a scam. Looking for the cheapest option, they ended up in a small community of mobile homes south of Dallas.

Bryan Gamez works in the kitchen of a Japanese ramen restaurant on January 5, 2018 in Dallas. "We work hard to help our parents out and just to take another problem off their shoulder," said team captain Juan Romano. "We're here at TJ to learn and stuff like that, but after school, that's when the real work for us begins."

Thomas Jefferson soccer player Fernando Nuñez, who emigrated from Honduras as an unaccompanied minor in 2015, fixes automotive rims at the wheel repair shop where he works with his brother and uncle on February 10, 2018 in Dallas. Fernando's parents both still live in Honduras, and he sends money home to help support them. In the fall of 2018, Nuñez dropped out of school to spend more time working.

Local residents watch Alfredo Marquez sweep up french fries dropped by his teammates after a team lunch at McDonald's during an out-of-town tournament on January 13, 2018 in Georgetown, Texas.

Orbelin Carachure, who emigrated from Guerrero, Mexico with his mother when he was 9 years old, digs a tunnel under a house for a plumbing repair while working with his brother on March 15, 2018 in Grapevine, Texas. "I don’t really spend a lot of money, so I just be saving it for like an emergency or whenever I need something," Orbelin said. "Right now, at my age, I don’t feel comfortable asking my mom for money."

Orbelin Carachure prays after receiving a new bilingual Bible during a team Bible study on February 15, 2018 in Dallas.

Bryan Gamez carefully opens the car door for his mother Lilian after they paid their phone bill on April 20, 2018 in Dallas.

Cesar Escobar and his mother Rosa look through Cesar's immigration documents on March 15, 2018 at their apartment in Dallas. Cesar, who emigrated from Honduras in 2015 as an unaccompanied minor, was detained at the border for two weeks and eventually released to live with his mother and stepfather in Dallas. He is currently in the application process for official residency status.

Bryan Gamez styles his hair while getting ready for prom on April 28, 2018 at his family's apartment in Dallas.

Bryan Gamez picks up his girlfriend Sofia Rojas for prom on April 28, 2018 at her home in Dallas. Bryan paid $120 to buy Sophia's prom dress.

Bryan Gamez dances with his girlfriend Sofia Rojas at prom on April 28, 2018 in Addison, Texas. Bryan and Sofia only spent a few songs on the dance floor because he doesn't like to dance and she had to make a strict 11:00 p.m. curfew.

Bryan Gamez crosses the stage after receiving his high school diploma during Thomas Jefferson's graduation ceremony on May 29, 2018.

Bryan Gamez's mother Lilian smiles as she takes a photo during Bryan's graduation ceremony on May 29, 2018. "The only motive for coming to the United States was to save the lives of our sons," Lilian said, "not to get rich, like everyone would imagine - simply to save the lives of our sons."

Bryan Gamez gets a hug from teammate and best friend Cesar Escobar after his graduation ceremony on May 29, 2018.

Bryan Gamez writes "I love TJ" on the field house window while waiting out a rain delay before a game on February 24, 2018. "It's hard for me to just think that, after four years being in the United States, having dreams of staying here, enjoying your life, doing something good for your family, thinking about a future with the people that you love, one day you can just give up on it and then go back from where you started," Bryan said.

Bryan Gamez is consoled by his girlfriend Sofia Rojas after losing his final home game on March 22, 2018 in Dallas. Bryan had learned the day before that his mother's asylum request had been ultimately denied and she had been ordered to self-deport to El Salvador within 30 days.

Cesar is lifted off the floor by fellow senior Kendrick Murphy as his mother Rosa Escobar looks on he signed a letter of intent to play soccer at Austin College on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

Coach Mark Wolveck explains basic principles of borrowing money to Cesar as the two look up information about student loans on the seniors' last day of classes, Friday, May 17, 2019. Though Cesar received some scholarship money from Austin College and $2500 from the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association, he will still have to take out student loans to cover the remaining costs. "I'm stressed," Cesar said. Because neither Cesar nor his mother are American citizens, a classmate's mother agreed to co-sign for Cesar's loans.

Bryan’s mother Lilian grabs his belt as they enter the Thomas Jefferson High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at Loos Field House in Addison, Texas. Since graduating in May 2018, Bryan has been picking up occasional contract labor with his father and brother, taking care of his family's home, and driving his mother to and from her two jobs.

Cesar Escobar waits with classmates in the hallway of Loos Field House before the Thomas Jefferson High School graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 in Addison, Texas. Cesar said he was thinking about his family back in Honduras in this moment.

Cesar hugs his sister Nicole Martinez, 8, (center) and his cousins Axel Escobar, 7, (left) and Jorge Escobar, 12, (right) after graduation.

Bryan drives Cesar home after they played video games and watched telenovelas together at Bryan's house a few days before Cesar's graduation on Thursday, May 23, 2019. Bryan, who graduated a year before many of his close friends and did not go to college, expressed a sense of detachment. "It's just different now, you know," he said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in a dark hole and I can't see any light."