9 hours ago
Nursing student detained by ICE after cop noticed she had 'a bit of an accent' during routine traffic stop
A college student was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after a cop noticed she had 'a bit of an accent' during a routine traffic stop.
Caroline Dias Goncalves, 19, was pulled over on the Colorado Interstate 70 on June 5, accused of driving too close to a semi-truck.
The University of Utah nursing student complied with the officer, identified as Investigator Alexander Zwinck, by handing over all of her documentation and paperwork.
In bodyworn camera footage seen by Zwinck told Goncalves he would let her off with just a warning, asking: 'Where are you from? You have a bit of an accent.'
Goncalves answered: 'I'm from Utah.'
Zwinck asked how long she'd been living in Utah and whether she was 'born and raised there', to which she cautiously answered: 'No. I was born in, um, gosh I always forget the town.. down in Brazil.'
'My parents moved here,' she added.
Zwinck appeared unfazed by her answer, moving on to ask her questions about her boyfriend, her weekend plans and her dreams of becoming a nurse.
After explaining to her once again that he was giving her a warning which would not require any following up, he sent her on her way, wishing her safe travels and urging her to give semi trucks on the road a little more space.
But minutes after the friendly interaction, Goncalves was pulled over again by ICE agents as she exited the freeway, and taken into custody.
The Mesa County Sheriff's Office has since revealed that Zwinck was part of a group chat with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners which was used to improve multi-agency cooperation to stem the drug trafficking trade.
'We were unaware that the communication group was used for anything other than drug interdiction efforts, including immigration,' the statement read.
'We have since removed all Mesa County Sheriff's Office members from the communication group.'
The Sheriff's Office has since learned that federal agents within the group chat have been using the information gathered and shared there for the purposes of ICE enforcement.
'This use of information is contradictory to Colorado law and was initially intended for the purpose of reducing illegal drug trafficking in Colorado,' the statement read.
'Unfortunately, it resulted in the later contact between ICE and Miss Dias Goncalves.'
Goncalves is now being held in Denver Detention Facility.
She is one of 2.5 million Dreamers in the United States, referring to undocumented migrants who were brought to the US as young children.
It is understood her family arrived in the US on a tourist visa, which they overstayed. Her father then applied for asylum, and that case is pending.
Goncalves earned a coveted national scholarship, which allows undocumented youth to help finance college.
While her asylum claim was pending, she had been granted temporary rights to work.
A GoFundMe set up by a friend to help Goncalves' family cover legal costs associated with her detention has already raised $25,000.
'Caroline has always followed the law, passionately pursued her education, and dreamed of a future full of opportunity,' the fundraising page reads.
'Yet she now finds herself unlawfully detained, frightened, and far from the safety and support she deserves.'
Goncalves' detention is the latest stunning case as President Trump puts pressure on ICE agents to conduct sweeping arrests and deportations.
This week, he directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities.
He added that to reach the goal officials 'must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.'
Trump's declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump's second term.
At the same time, the Trump administration has reportedly directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels amid concern about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries.
