Teen arrested by ICE faces deportation despite dismissed traffic charges

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College pupil detained by ICE speaks retired

College pupil detained by ICE pursuing a mistaken postulation stop: "My beingness is here" 03:05

Dalton, Georgia — A 19-year-old Mexican-born Georgia woman who has lived successful the U.S. since she was 4 continues to look deportation, contempt the dismissal of the postulation charges that led Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehension her.

In her archetypal interrogation since being detained by ICE, Ximena Arias Cristobal told CBS News said her biggest interest is not being capable to enactment successful Georgia, aft spending astir of her beingness — astir 15 years — successful the U.S.

"My beingness is here, and I'm frightened I'm going to person to commencement each implicit again successful a state that I don't know," Arias Cristobal said implicit a telephone telephone from wrong an ICE detention halfway successful Georgia wherever she is being held. She's been held astatine that installation since she was taken into custody by a Dalton policeman connected May 5 connected charges of making an improper crook and driving without a license.

A assemblage pupil who graduated from Dalton's precocious schoolhouse past year, Arias Cristobal came to the U.S. without authorization successful 2010. While she came to the U.S. arsenic a child, she did not suffice for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) argumentation that presently protects fractional a cardinal undocumented immigrants known arsenic "Dreamers" from deportation. She arrived aft the Obama-era program's June 2007 cut-off date.

Before President Trump took bureau for a 2nd time, Arias Cristobal — a young undocumented migrant without a transgression grounds who has lived successful the U.S. for galore years — would apt not person been arrested by ICE, adjacent without the DACA protections.

But successful its bid to oversee what it has promised volition beryllium the largest wide deportation run successful American history, the Trump medication has vastly expanded who tin beryllium arrested and deported, revoking Biden-era rules that directed ICE to absorption connected arresting radical deemed to beryllium nationalist information threats, superior criminals and migrants who precocious entered the U.S. illegally.

On Monday, officials successful Dalton dismissed the 2 postulation charges against Arias Cristobal, saying the constabulary serviceman had stopped the incorrect car. It was that postulation halt that landed Arias Cristobal successful Whitfield County Jail, wherever she was detained by ICE. The region is 1 of hundreds of jurisdictions that person agreements to cooperate with ICE by turning implicit noncitizen detainees.

Despite the dismissal of the postulation charges, Arias Cristobal continues to look deportation to Mexico, alongside her father, who was detained by ICE successful April, besides aft a postulation stop. They're some being held astatine the Stewart ICE detention installation successful Lumpkin, Georgia.

In a connection to CBS News, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the facts successful Arias Cristobal's lawsuit "haven't changed," adjacent aft the postulation violations were dismissed.

"Both begetter and girl were successful this state illegally and they person to look the consequences," McLaughlin said. She did not quality that Arias Cristobal and her begetter bash not person transgression records.

"They're not criminals"

Ndaitha Cristobal said her girl had an different emblematic American upbringing successful northbound Georgia, contempt surviving successful the U.S. without valid migration documents.

She said Arias Cristobal is an avid runner who competed successful cross-country races successful precocious schoolhouse and worked arsenic a babysitter.

"Ximena is simply a calm girl. She's dedicated to studying. She's a precise progressive girl. She's a miss who sets goals for herself. She is precise disciplined," Cristobal said successful Spanish extracurricular the family's location successful Dalton, a metropolis astir an hr and a fractional northbound of Atlanta wherever fractional the residents are Latino, galore of them immigrants.

Cristobal said her eldest girl is besides precise adjacent to her 2 younger sisters — ages 12 and 9 — who are some American citizens. Aurora, the 12-year-old, said she's having occupation concentrating successful school, arsenic she's perpetually disquieted astir her family's fate.

"My family's a bully household … they're not criminals," Aurora said. "They mightiness person came present illegally, but they came present to fulfill their dreams."

Like her eldest girl and husband, Cristobal is successful the U.S. illegally. She has go the family's main breadwinner since her husband's arrest.

Aurora said she's frightened her parent could besides find herself successful an ICE detention center. "She's the past anticipation we have. She's the grown big that we person here. She's the 1 that's been working, paying the bills," Aurora said.

Even successful a ruby reddish Georgia assemblage represented by blimpish firebrand and migration hardliner Marjorie Taylor Greene successful Congress, Arias Cristobal's apprehension has made galore uneasy. President Trump bested erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris by 44 percent points successful Whitfield County successful the 2024 election.

"There's been an uprising of heartbreak for our community, because, you know, a batch of radical felt similar we were going aft the hard criminals, and unfortunately, bully radical are getting caught connected the lavation connected this issue," said Georgia authorities lawmaker Kasey Carpenter, a Republican who represents Dalton.

Carpenter said helium wrote a missive vouching for Arias Cristobal's character, calling her "an asset" for the section community.

In a statement, Greene defended the handling of Arias Cristobal's lawsuit by migration officials, saying the Trump medication is "upholding our nation's migration laws."

"While section Dalton officials dropped her charges, the facts remain: she was driving illegally without a licence and has nary ineligible ground to stay successful the United States," Greene said.

Since being taken into ICE custody, Arias Cristobal has been calling location regular from detention. CBS News was determination erstwhile she called connected Mother's Day.

As her parent wept, Arias Cristobal said that, if fixed the accidental to talk to the president, she would impulse him to consciousness immoderate "compassion," stressing that she and her household members are not criminals. Her family's separation, she added, has been particularly painful.

"The hardest portion is being ripped distant from each other," she said.

Jared Eggleston contributed reporting.