Latest news with #Romo-Bermejo
Newsweek
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Man Who Came to US at Age 2 Detained by ICE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 21-year-old Virginia Tech student who has lived in the United States since he was 2 years old and is in the process of applying for a green card was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment. Why It Matters President Donald Trump campaigned on mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, specifically targeting those with violent criminal records, and his administration ramped up immigration enforcement since his return to office in January. Recent polls, however, suggest some Americans are turning on Trump's immigration policy amid reports that individuals with no criminal records or nonviolent offenses are being targeted. The administration said it deported around 100,000 illegal immigrants in the initial months of the presidency. Many individuals have been deported following Trump invoking the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been criticized and blocked by judges. What To Know On July 9, Cristian Romo-Bermejo attended a going-away party for his friend. During the party, his friends believed he began to have a panic attack, and he asked for an ambulance, Blacksburg-based news station WSLS reported. His sister, Carina, said police arrived with the ambulance, and he told them that he did not have legal status. Police allege that Romo-Bermejo threatened medical staff and assaulted officers while at the hospital. His sister told WSLS that he "has no criminal record" and is "not a violent person." Romo-Bermejo, from Mexico, is married to a U.S. citizen, Jadyn Yost, who says he is in the process of applying for a green card. She told WSLS that they plan to seek cancellation of removal once the criminal case is settled. ICE responded to his arrest in a statement first reported by WSLS, writing that Romo-Bermejo was "illegally present" in the U.S. and was "charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer." "On July 13, the Montgomery County Jail honored the ICE detainer and transferred custody to ICE Washington, D.C. who served Romo-Bermejo a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge. Romo-Bermejo will further be held in custody without bond as he is subject to mandatory detention under the Laken Riley Act," the statement reads. ICE records reviewed by Newsweek show that he remains in custody at the Farmville Detention Center in Farmville, Virginia. A man holds a sign that reads "Love your immigrant neighbor" during a protest in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. A man holds a sign that reads "Love your immigrant neighbor" during a protest in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. DAVID PASHAEE/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images A GoFundMe campaign for Romo-Bermejo has raised over $33,000. "Cristian is not a criminal. He is not a threat. He is a husband, a friend, a classmate. He is a person who shows more strength and dedication than most of us will ever be asked to. This country is the only place he has ever known, and now he is locked away from all of it," the GoFundMe reads. There have been numerous reports of migrants living in the U.S. being detained amid Trump's immigration crackdown. For instance, a Michigan mother of two is facing deportation after reporting an alleged assault to her local police. A Brazilian man living in Florida with a valid Florida ID and work permit was detained while visiting the Grand Canyon last month. What People Are Saying Cristian Romo-Bermejo's wife, Jadyn Yost, told WSLS: "He was disoriented and scared and begging to be taken to a hospital to get help. He wasn't trying to cause harm." Attorney John Fishwick told WSET: "The fact that he's being held, they may be taking the position that he's an illegal citizen and therefore we want to remove him from this country." Eduardo Zelaya, Virginia's organizing director at immigration advocacy group CASA, said in a statement: "The illegal and inhumane criminalization of Cristian is yet another example of rising authoritarian ideals that are being adopted and implemented in our commonwealth of Virginia. He experienced a health emergency and should have received care and compassion, not handcuffs and detention." What Happens Next Romo-Bermejo's next immigration hearing is scheduled for August, reported Lynchburg news station WSET. His family and legal team plan to seek cancellation of removal once the criminal case concludes.
Miami Herald
22-07-2025
- Miami Herald
ICE ‘abducted' 22-year-old student seeking medical help in Virginia, group says
A 22-year-old Virginia Tech engineering student was 'abducted' by federal immigration authorities after he went to a hospital during a mental health crisis, an immigrant advocacy group denouncing his detention said. Cristian Romo-Bermejo, who has lived in the U.S. for the last 20 years and is married to an American citizen, was arrested July 9 while seeking medical help in Blacksburg, Virginia, according to a July 21 news release from CASA, a national organization with more than 173,000 members. Following his arrest, he was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, CASA said. An ICE spokesperson confirmed to McClatchy News on July 22 that Romo-Bermejo is in ICE detention. In a statement, they said he is from Mexico and is illegally in the U.S. He 'was arrested by the Blacksburg Police Department July 9 and charged with two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer,' the spokesperson said. Then ICE in D.C. 'lodged an immigration detainer against Romo-Bermejo with the Montgomery County Jail in Christiansburg, Virginia.' On July 13, he was transferred from the jail and into ICE custody, according to the spokesperson. Romo-Bermejo's wife Jadyn Yost told McClatchy News on July 22 that he was at a going-away party for his co-worker July 9, when he had been drinking and later had 'severe panic attacks' that evening. 'He became disoriented, overwhelmed, and frightened,' Yost said in an emailed statement. 'Cristian begged for an ambulance' and his friends 'called for help,' Yost explained. She said this resulted in an ambulance and police responding. Afterward, at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Blacksburg, Romo-Bermejo was accused of threatening staff and assaulting two officers evaluating him for suspected alcohol poisoning, according to Blacksburg police, CBS 19 News reported. Yost told the TV station that he 'was not trying to cause harm,' adding that the incident was 'completely out of character.' Romo-Bermejo was brought to the U.S. when he was 2, reads a GoFundMe created by Jadyn Yost's twin sister Haven Yost, who is helping raise money for Romo-Bermejo's legal defense. The night of his arrest, he was overwhelmed and in a 'fragile mental state' and 'only remembers waking up in a jail cell,' Jadyn Yost told McClatchy News. 'He is the love of my life,' she said, adding that 'he has spent his entire life trying to gain legal status in the only country he calls home.' Despite his ongoing efforts, CASA said he is at risk of deportation. CASA is calling for his release and for elected officials to speak on his situation. The organization's director in Virginia, Eduardo Zelaya, said in a statement that Romo-Bermejo is being subjected to 'illegal and inhumane criminalization.' 'He experienced a health emergency and should have received care and compassion, not handcuffs and detention,' Zelaya added. The ICE spokesperson told McClatchy News that when the agency took Romo-Bermejo into custody, he was issued a notice that ordered him to appear in federal immigration court to face a Justice Department judge. 'Romo-Bermejo will further be held in custody without bond as he is subject to mandatory detention under the Laken Riley Act,' the spokesperson said. He is being held at ICE's Farmville Detention Center in Farmville, Virginia, Jadyn Yost told McClatchy News. 'If this had happened to any other 22 year old college student, someone who was not brought to this country as a toddler, they would still be preparing for their final year of school,' she said. 'They would not be sitting in a detention center facing the absolute harshest consequences imaginable.' Romo-Bermejo is due in court Oct. 16 in connection with the criminal charges he is facing, Jadyn Yost shared. 'In the meantime, we are holding onto hope that he will be granted bond soon so we can continue moving forward with our pending marriage-based I-130 petition and give him the chance to continue his journey toward citizenship,' she added. 'He deserves to come home and continue building the life he has worked so hard for.'
