Latest news with #DaltonStateCollege
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dalton college student to provide update on immigration case after mistaken arrest
The Brief A 19-year-old Dalton student who is facing possible deportation and her family are holding a press conference to discuss her case on Tuesday afternoon. Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a Dalton teen brought to the U.S. as a child, was released from ICE custody last week after being mistakenly pulled over by police and detained for over two weeks. Arias-Cristobal now faces a lengthy legal process, with her next hearing potentially more than a year away due to court backlogs. ATLANTA - A 19-year-old Georgia college student whose arrest and possible future deportation have gained national attention will speak about her experience at a press conference on Tuesday. Ximena Arias-Cristobal, who came to the United States illegally with her parents when she was 4 years old, her attorney, and her family will discuss her case and answer questions about what her future legal situation may be. The backstory Arias-Cristobal, a student at Dalton State College and a Mexican national, was arrested on May 5 for allegedly making an illegal right turn on red and driving without a license. She was initially booked into the Whitfield County Jail before being transferred to the Stewart Detention Center, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in southwest Georgia. However, just days later, the City of Dalton dropped all charges after reviewing dashcam footage and determining she had been mistakenly identified. Officials confirmed her vehicle was not involved in the traffic violation that led to her arrest. She spent nearly three weeks in ICE custody before an immigration judge granted her a $1,500 bond. She was released last Thursday and reunited with her family. A day after her release, the officer that arrested her resigned from his position with the department. A letter reportedly posted on Facebook by Officer Leslie Allen O'Neal wife says that he resigned because of the police department's "inadequate response to and defense against public accusations of false arrest, which arose after a charge from a valid arrest was publicly dropped without explanation." PREVIOUS STORIES Dalton college student being held by ICE granted bond Dalton college student still faces possibility of deportation in future DHS defends ICE detainment of Georgia college student who violated traffic laws: 'Not ignoring rule of law' What's next Arias-Cristobal's case has gained national attention and renewed debate over how the U.S. handles immigration cases involving individuals brought to the country as children. While out on an immigration bond for now, her attorney, Dustin Baxter, says that she and her father still face the possibility of deportation. Baxter said that it could be at least a year before the Dalton college student's next hearing due to court backlogs and is also working on her father's case. "Her father may be eligible for cancellation of removal because he's been in the U.S. for over a decade, has no criminal record, and meets other qualifications," Baxter said. "If he is granted legal status, she could potentially apply for a green card through him." The family is holding a press conference at Baxter's office at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. FOX 5 will be there to stream the event. The Source Information for this story came from a release by the attorney for Ximena Arias-Cristobal and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Georgia college student facing deportation heading to court for bond hearing
The Brief A Georgia college student whose arrest and possible deportation after a traffic stop have drawn national attention will be in court today for a bond hearing. Last week, the City of Dalton confirmed that all charges were dropped against Ximena Arias-Cristobal, saying that she was not the driver who committed the traffic violation that led to her arrest. Her lawyers say they will fight for her release at her hearing on a immigration bond. DALTON, Ga. - A Georgia college student facing deportation after a traffic stop will be in court today for a bond hearing. Ximena Arias-Cristobal's case has drawn national attention and has led to multiple protests in the community as advocates push for her release. What we know Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old Mexican national, was arrested by police in Dalton, Georgia, on May 5 after illegally turning right on red and driving without a license, according to an arrest report obtained by WTVC in Chattanooga. At the time, the Dalton State College student was taken to the Whitfield County Jail before being transferred to the Stewart Detention Center – a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility – in Southwest Georgia. Last week, the City of Dalton confirmed that all charges were dropped against Arias-Cristobal, saying that she had been mistakenly identified and did not make the illegal right turn that led to her arrest. The Dalton Police Department, the prosecuting attorney, and city officials reviewed the video and determined Arias-Cristobal's vehicle was not the one that committed the traffic violation. She was cleared of both the improper turn and license charges, and the City Attorney notified her legal representatives of the decision to drop the case. What they're saying Supporters of Arias-Cristobal, including neighbors, friends, and her former employer, have rallied for her release since the college student was arrested. A GoFundMe campaign launched to raise money for her bond and legal fees has raised nearly $90,000. The fundraiser was started by Hannah Jones, a local mother who says Arias-Cristobal has babysat her children for years. "She has babysat for my kids for years. We adore her. Ximena is my close friend and my children's favorite babysitter," Jones wrote. She said that she hopes to have a celebration when Arias-Cristobal "returns home." Attorney Dustin Baxter, who is representing Arias-Cristobal, called her case "devastating." "The problem with this administration's policy with immigration is it doesn't differentiate between hardened criminals and innocent people who get caught up in the mix," he told FOX 5 last week. The other side Arias-Cristobal's father, Jose Francisco Arias-Tovar, was also arrested recently in an unrelated traffic incident for speeding and driving without a license. He is being held at the same ICE facility. DHS officials say both admitted to being in the country illegally and do not have pending immigration cases. "The family will be able to return to Mexico together," a DHS spokesperson said previously. "Mr. Tovar had ample opportunity to seek a legal pathway to citizenship. He chose not to. We are not ignoring the rule of law." The agency also pointed to alternatives, noting that migrants who self-deport using the CBP One app may be eligible to return legally in the future. What's next Despite the dismissal of all criminal charges, Arias-Cristobal remains in ICE custody. A bond hearing for Arias-Cristobal will take place on Tuesday morning. Her attorney says they will "fight for her release" on an immigration bond. The Source Information for this story came from a release by Ximena Arias-Cristobal's attorney, court records, and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Miami Herald
‘She is not a criminal,' says mother of college student in ICE detention
DALTON, Georgia - Ndahitha Cristobal was cleaning an office on May 5 to provide for her three daughters because, weeks earlier, her contractor husband had been arrested for a traffic violation and placed into immigration detention. Cristobal's oldest daughter, 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a Dalton State College student, told her she would swing by the office to help her clean ahead of a study date later in the day. "But Ximena never got there," Cristobal told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Spanish during an interview in her home last week. While driving to meet her mother, Ximena was pulled over and arrested by a Dalton police officer who mistakenly believed she had made an illegal turn at a red light. Like both of her parents, Ximena is living in the country without legal status after the family moved to Dalton from Mexico 15 years ago, when she was 4 years old. Cristobal said she saw the arrest unfold in the office building's parking lot. "It hurts so much to see your daughter be handcuffed," she said. "As a mom, I wanted to run out and say: 'Hey, don't take her away.' But I couldn't. "I couldn't because I have two other girls at home (ages 12 and 9). And if I had gone down and said something, maybe they would have said: 'Well, you're coming with us.'" Shortly afterward, Cristobal went to the Whitfield County Jail to pay Ximena's traffic tickets, but she soon realized police were not going to let her daughter go. They had already contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I was waiting for her outside, but she wasn't coming out. She called me crying and said: 'Mom, immigration is coming to take me.'" Once she entered ICE custody, Ximena was transferred to the Stewart Detention Center, a sprawling immigrant jail in South Georgiathat holds the second most detainees of any facility in the country. There, she joined her father, Jose Francisco Arias-Tovar. Like his daughter, Arias-Tovar was sent to ICE detention following a traffic stop in Whitfield County. Police arrested him for speeding. "I was still trying to come to terms with what happened to my husband, and then all of a sudden, Ximena," Cristobal said. "It was like a bomb going off for me." News of Ximena's arrest spread fast and wide, sparking national headlines and several rounds of protests in this majority Hispanic town in the northwest corner of the state. Outrage grew further following a Dalton police news conference Tuesday, where local authorities announced Ximena had been mistakenly pulled over and that they were dropping all charges against her. But that development does not affect the college student's status as an ICE detainee. "Because of one person's mistake, someone like Ximena can lose the life they had here," Cristobal said. She added that she felt angry and sad when she heard the police's statement, but not surprised. Ximena knew the risks of getting behind the wheel as an immigrant who lacked legal status and was careful, she said. "She was very cautious. She always put her phone on silent," Cristobal said. "We would tell her, 'Ximena, please, you know you're not supposed to drive.' And it wasn't because she wanted to do it, it was out of necessity, to get to school. "Most times friends would give her rides, but sometimes that couldn't happen and she had to drive." More Dalton residents picked up for deportation America Gruner is a longtime Dalton immigrant community advocate and president of the Coalition of Latino Leaders, a local Hispanic-serving nonprofit. She said arrests like Ximena's happen on a recurring basis in Dalton, even if most don't generate the same level of attention. "We receive calls almost every day about similar situations, from people who have been in Dalton for 30, 35 years, with children born here, and because of a traffic violation, they are now in a detention center or have been deported," she said. "In (Ximena's) case, what she has done is to draw attention to people who were not familiar with this type of situation, and they have given them visibility at a state level and national, right? "But, as I say, unfortunately, it is not the only case." Gruner explained ICE has not had to be physically present in Dalton this year for city residents to face deportation. Instead, a long-standing partnership between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents means that anyone without lawful status who is booked in Whitfield County Jail is flagged for ICE pickup. According to Gruner, most immigrants who are living in the Dalton area illegally wind up on ICE's radar because of traffic violations. "They stop people and tell them that were going too fast, or that they drove through a stop sign. But how do we really know if that's true or not?" Gruner said, referencing the police error that led to Ximena being pulled over. According to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office, ICE lodged 98 "detainers," or requests to pick up immigrants arrested in the county, from January through March, up from 30 detainers sent from October through December 2024. To lower community members' exposure to detention and deportation, Gruner's nonprofit operates a long-running initiative dubbed Ruta de la Libertad, or Freedom Road, which organizes a network of volunteers with driver's licenses to give rides to people without status. The organization also has been distributing flyers asking immigrant residents to avoid getting behind the wheel. "A lot of people think that us telling people to not drive without a license means we are giving up. But we see it as the opposite," Gruner said. "Right now, they have the power to detain us if we don't have licenses. We take that power away from them if we don't put ourselves in that situation." Like Gruner, state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, a Republican from Dalton, says he gets multiple calls from constituents every week about ICE detention. He said he would like to see federal immigration policy address both border security and the needs of families like Ximena's, who don't currently have a clear pathway to legal residency. "Secure the borders, everybody's cool with that," Carpenter said. "Get the criminals out of here. Nobody's got heartburn with that. But let's figure out what we are going to do with the rest of these people. Because the economy can't handle hauling all these people off." Ximena, he said, "is not supposed to be without a license. I get that. And I'm not trying to downplay the reality of that, but I also know you got limited resources to detain and deport people. Let's focus our attention on the hardened criminals." Carpenter's views on immigration can make him a target of criticism in his district. Whitfield County is both heavily Hispanic and heavily conservative. He says he is used to it. "There's always flak but, I mean, it's the right thing to do," he said. "I can't be a Christian on Sunday and then haul a Christian off on Monday." Dalton's more high-profile Republican representative, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, offered a different perspective on Ximena's case. "While local Dalton officials dropped her charges, the facts remain: she was driving illegally without a license and has no legal basis to remain in the United States," Greene said in a statement. "Today, there are currently 1.6 million American citizens living and thriving in Mexico legally," Greene's statement says. "But if I moved to Mexico illegally with my children when they were young, Mexican authorities would enforce their laws. I would be arrested and deported. That's how sovereignty and the rule of law work." In a statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security echoed Greene: "Both father and daughter were in this country illegally and they have to face consequences … (They) will be able to return to Mexico together." 'She is not a criminal' According to Cristobal, her family moved to Dalton in 2010 because her brother had already settled in the area. That timeline locked Ximena out of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. To be DACA-eligible, young immigrants had to have lived continuously in the U.S. since 2007. Cristobal's husband got his start working odd jobs, then launched his own construction company. Ximena studies business administration at Dalton State and had hopes of teaming up with her father to help grow his company. She planned to get a real estate license and help sell the houses her father built. "Ximena would ask her father, 'Dad, do you think I can do it?' And he would say, 'Xime, for you, the sky's the limit. Whatever you set out to do, you'll make it happen.'" Memories like those come back to Cristobal when she spends time in her daughter's bedroom, looking through photos she has there. Shortly before speaking to the AJC, the family received some good news: Ximena's father had just been granted bail, meaning he will be able to leave detention and fight his deportation case from home. Ximena will have her own bail hearing Tuesday. Although she speaks on the phone with her daughter every day, Cristobal is not sure how she is coping with the conditions in the ICE jail. Ximena doesn't share too many details, probably so that her mother doesn't worry too much, Cristobal said. She has thought about traveling to the detention facility to visit her daughter, but worries doing so could put her in danger as someone who lacks legal status. "It would scare me to go near that place," she said. "I'll tell you again, and maybe this will sound repetitive, but this is my daughter. She is not a criminal. My daughter is just a young woman filled with dreams for the future." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
College Student Faces Deportation Even After Cops Admit Mistake
Police have admitted they wrongly pulled over a Mexican-born college student before sending her to an ICE facility. Despite the admission from Dalton Police Department, Ximena Arias-Cristobal is still in Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, and faces deportation to the country she left as a toddler. The 19-year-old Dalton State College student was accused of making an illegal right turn at a red light in Dalton last Monday. She was thrown into ICE detention with chains around her wrists and ankles. Local police and the prosecuting attorney of the city of Dalton have now dismissed the charges after a review of the dash cam video of the traffic stop showed that the student's vehicle appeared similar to the offending one. She faces a judge on May 20 for a scheduled bond hearing. She remains on ICE's online system and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the MAGA congresswoman whose district includes Dalton, has indicated she will still be deported. 'Ms. Cristobal was incredibly fortunate to grow up in a beautiful part of the world—Dalton, Georgia,' Greene said. 'While local Dalton officials dropped her charges, the facts remain: she was driving illegally without a license and has no legal basis to remain in the United States.' The teenager had been cited for an improper right turn, but she also told traffic cops that she had an international driver's license and not the required Georgia state driver's license. 'I'm grateful the Trump Administration is upholding our nation's immigration laws and keeping families together, it's the right thing to do,' Greene added. Dalton's assistant chief of police, Chris Crossen, meanwhile, appeared sympathetic. He said at a press conference on Monday: 'We certainly regret the circumstances that led us to where we are today.' 'Ximena is one of many young, innocent people who have had the misfortune of being caught up in Trump's cruel dragnet,' her attorney, Dustin Baxter, told The Independent. 'The fact that Ximena, like many others, has committed no crime for which they can be deported means nothing anymore,' he added. The fact she has been in the U.S. since she was 4 years old and is active in her community 'means nothing to ICE,' Baxter said. Earlier this year ICE brought back a 'no release' policy, which makes Arias-Cristobal's chances of re-entering her adoptive hometown unlikely. Baxter said the policy 'makes a mockery of Trump's promise to deport 'bad people.'' State Rep. Kacey Carpenter, a Republican, has urged the judge to release the student. 'She is not a danger to the community,' he said in an open letter. 'She's been here for 15 years. Never been in trouble, good student, good athlete, etc, etc. 'I understand that we're deporting people, but can we focus on people that are trying to be a danger to society, and not people that are here through no fault of their own, that are an asset to the community, that are providing opportunities moving forward for community, for the state.' Arias-Cristobal's father, Jose Francisco Arias-Tovar, was also scooped up as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. He was detained three weeks ago after being caught going 19 miles over the speed limit in nearby Tunnel Hill. The two family members are being housed in the same ICE facility, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from their hometown. 'The family will be able to return to Mexico together. Mr. Tovar had ample opportunity to seek a legal pathway to citizenship. He chose not to. We are not ignoring the rule of law,' the Department of Homeland Security wrote on X after the teen's arrest. 'Both father and daughter were in this country illegally and they have to face the consequences,' DHS said Tuesday. The agency has been contacted for an updated statement.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia Community Rallies Behind Ximena Arias Following ICE Arrest
DALTON, Ga., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of 19-year-old Dalton State College student Ximena Arias is speaking out following her arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a traffic stop that has since been acknowledged as a mistake. The incident has mobilized broad community support and drawn renewed attention to long-standing gaps in federal immigration policy. Brought to the U.S. at the age of four, Ximena Arias-Cristobal has called Georgia home for 15 years. She is a college student paying out-of-state tuition, an active member of her church, and a well-loved part of the Dalton community. She has no criminal record and is widely recognized for her character and community involvement. Her arrest — following a mistaken traffic stop now clarified by the Dalton Police Department — has raised concerns about how current enforcement practices affect individuals with deep ties to their communities. Young people are especially impacted, as many have no viable legal pathway to permanent residency since President Trump closed new DACA applications in 2017. "We are shining a light on Ximena," her family shared. "She is not a threat. She is not a flight risk. She is a neighbor, a student, a daughter. We are proud to live in a community that is showing up for her. She represents the best of what our community stands for." Thanks to legal support and advocacy, her family is hopeful she will be released on bond and allowed to return home while her case proceeds. A GoFundMe campaign has already raised over $60,000 to support her legal expenses. Funding her existing legal fees and future fees will mount well into the tens of thousands of dollars. Ximena's bond hearing comes after the Dalton Police Department dash cam footage showed that she did not, in fact, commit a traffic violation. "I'm not bitter that this happened," Ximena said. "I appreciate the Dalton Police Department's willingness to acknowledge the error and do the right thing. My dad reminded me on the phone that I was born with a purpose. I hope that part of that purpose is to show how our immigration system needs reform and to encourage lawmakers to find a better path forward." Following the traffic stop, Ximena was booked into the Whitfield County Jail and then, in accordance with federal law, transferred to the Stewart Detention Center, where she remains. The experience, her family says, has been traumatic and isolating, both emotionally and financially. "We are so grateful every time we hear her voice," her mother said. "We just want to bring her home." A System Under Strain Ximena's immigration attorney Charles Kuck emphasizes that her case is not an isolated incident. "Detaining nonviolent residents like Ximena clogs local systems, creates unnecessary costs, and separates families," he said. "Her case is especially difficult because there is no immediate remedy under current law — even though her arrest was based on a documented mistake." "The reality is that Congress has not acted to modernize our immigration laws in over 35 years," Kuck continued. "Ximena is a living example of how that inaction plays out in real life. We will continue to advocate for her release and for a future where cases like hers are treated with the compassion and common sense they deserve." A Call to Action for Georgia Ximena's case has become a touchpoint for community members and advocates who want to be part of the solution: Drive Safely: Remind friends that even minor traffic stops can have serious consequences. Support Legal Advocacy: Donate to trusted local nonprofits. Dalton examples include CLILA (Coalition of Latino Leaders) and the Latin American Association (LAA). Contact Your Representatives: Ask Georgia lawmakers to support bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform. Consider asking representatives: "What are you doing to ensure that long-term residents like Ximena are not detained for minor infractions? How can we create a pathway to legal status for individuals with no options? Her family is optimistic that Ximena will be reunited with her loved ones soon and is already imagining a joyful, peaceful homecoming. "We believe in our legal system," her mother said. "But we also believe in compassion and common sense. Dalton is our home. We're proud to belong to a community that continues to show us great love and support." Contact: Team XimenaEmail: teamximenaarias@ View original content: SOURCE Team Ximena
