ICE Detains 19-Year-Old Georgia College Student After Mistaken Traffic Stop
Teen brought to U.S. as a child now faces deportation despite police admitting traffic stop error
DALTON, GA — In a case drawing national attention, 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a Georgia college student who was brought to the U.S. at age four, has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a traffic stop police now admit was a mistake.
Mistaken Identity, Real Consequences
On May 5, Arias-Cristobal was pulled over by a Dalton Police officer who wrongly believed her car had run a red light. Body camera footage later confirmed the error — she had not committed any traffic violation.
Despite charges being dropped, Arias-Cristobal was transferred to ICE custody after officers discovered she lacked a valid Georgia driver’s license and is undocumented. She remains held at Stewart Detention Center, a privately run ICE facility in southwest Georgia.
“She’s been here since she was four years old. She’s a student. She’s done nothing wrong. And now she’s facing deportation because of a mistake,” said her attorney, Dustin Baxter.
A Family in Crisis
The incident comes just months after her father, Jose Francisco Arias-Tovar, was also detained by ICE following a separate traffic stop. He is currently being held in the same facility as his daughter.
Both Arias-Cristobal and her father have lived and worked in Georgia for years. The family, according to their attorney, has strong community ties, no criminal records, and has contributed significantly to the local workforce and economy.
Political and Community Outcry
Local leaders, including Republican State Representative Kasey Carpenter, have spoken out on the teen’s behalf, urging ICE to exercise discretion.
“We should be focusing immigration enforcement on bad actors, not on 19-year-old students who were brought here as kids,” Carpenter said.
A growing number of supporters have rallied behind Arias-Cristobal, raising nearly $43,000 via a GoFundMe campaign to support her legal defense. Advocacy groups and immigration attorneys have pointed to the case as a glaring example of how current immigration laws and enforcement practices are affecting young, undocumented individuals who have known no other home but the U.S.
The Bigger Picture
Arias-Cristobal’s detention is part of a broader debate over immigration enforcement policies introduced during the Trump administration, including the controversial “no release” directive that mandates detention for undocumented immigrants without consideration for circumstances.
Her bond hearing is scheduled for May 20. If denied, she could face deportation to Mexico — a country she hasn’t lived in since she was a toddler.
What’s Next?
Immigration attorneys and civil rights groups are closely watching the outcome of her hearing, warning that her case could set a precedent for how young undocumented immigrants, even those without criminal records, are treated under federal immigration law.
This developing story highlights a pressing question: Should someone who was brought to the United States as a child and grew up as an American be forcibly removed over a traffic stop error?
