Latest news with #XimenaArias-Cristobal
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GA student arrested in traffic stop, taken into ICE custody, speaks at Senate Democrats forum
A Georgia college student who was pulled over by mistake and then taken into ICE custody spoke Thursday before Senate Democrats at a forum on immigration. Ximena Arias-Cristobal was pulled over by an officer in May. After her arrest, Dalton police said that the wrong vehicle was stopped. They say the officer involved intended to stop another vehicle that had made an illegal right turn. The 19-year-old spent more than two weeks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody before being granted a $1,500 bond. 'What happened to me is not rare. It's part of a growing pattern that is both scary and un-American. And I know I am not alone in thinking that I live in an overwhelmingly conservative community,' Arias-Cristobal told the panel. RELATED STORIES: 'It changed me': Undocumented GA college student talks about being in ICE custody for 15 days Traffic stop lands GA college student in ICE custody 2 weeks after same thing happened to father Georgia college student gets bond at immigration hearing after mistaken arrest ICE still plans to deport Georgia college student arrested after wrongful traffic stop GA student taken into ICE custody after traffic stop pulled over by mistake, police say Marjorie Taylor Greene weighs in on college student facing deportation after wrongful traffic stop The college student went on to talk about her experience of being housed at the Steward Detention Center outside of Columbus. 'Being held in jail, even just for two days, was traumatizing. I was surrounded by people who had committed serious crimes, but what left the deepest mark on me was the transfer being shackled at the wrist, waist, and ankles. That is something I will never forget. It was dehumanizing, and what's worse is knowing that millions of others have experienced and will continue to experience the same trauma,' Arias-Cristobal said. 'Detention centers are supposed to be temporary holding spaces while people determine their legal options, but at Stewart, we are treated like criminals, the conditions, the language used towards us, the lack of dignity and compassion. It felt more like punishment than due process.' Arias-Cristobal was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by her parents when she was 4 years old. She said by the time she was of age, it was too late to apply for DACA. 'My dream is to one day become a U.S. citizen. I was not eligible for DACA, but if I had been, I would have applied without hesitation,' Arias-Cristobal said. 'No one should have to go through what I did. We need a system that reflects our values of justice, dignity, and due process, instead of arrests, detentions, and threats of deportation. Wouldn't it be better if we had the chance to become legal American citizens?' The officer who initially arrested Arias-Cristobal eventually resigned from the Dalton Police Department. Arias-Cristobal and her attorney are working to help her gain American citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security has said it still intends on trying to deport Arias-Cristobal.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention
A Georgia teen detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after wrongfully being arrested said she forgives the police officer who mistakenly pulled her over for a traffic violation she did not commit. "I think he needed to do what he needed to do. He knows why he did it and I think, as from my standpoint, I don't hold a grudge against him. As a Christian I think the Bible says forgive those who wrong you, and I forgive him," Ximena Arias-Cristobal said at a press conference Wednesday. Arias-Cristobal, 19, was arrested on May 5 in Dalton, Georgia, when her dark gray truck was mistaken for a black pickup that made an illegal turn. Those citations were later dropped once officials realized there was a mix-up, Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said. But, she was still detained by ICE after it was discovered she was an undocumented immigrant. She was released on bond last week. Officer Leslie O'Neal has resigned from his position at the Dalton Police Department, the communications director for the City of Dalton, Georgia, confirmed to ABC News. MORE: Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken arrest says detention was 'life-changing' Arias-Cristobal said immigrants at the Stewart Detention Center, where she was held, are "treated like we're the worst criminals ever" and acknowledged that others have also been treated unjustly. "I know everything that I'm going through is something that's very unjust, and it's not only my case, but millions of people are going through this in the United States. At Stewart, I met a lot of people that are going through tougher situations than me, and I think they deserve justice because they are not criminals,' she said. "There's a lot of very sad cases in there, mine is just a speck of what you see and that's the sad truth," she said. Despite forgiving the officer for her arrest, she said he acted "very unprofessional with his words" and "unprofessional with how he treated me." She said the incident has changed her world. 'It kind of flips your world. ... Before we lived in fear, now a lot more," she said. "It's making people feel a little bit more entitled. With everything going on in the government, people just feel like their feelings can be poured out, and because of that, we feel as if we're more like targets in our community, and we're scared to go out, and we don't feel as comfortable as we used to before," Arias-Cristobal said. MORE: Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken traffic stop granted bond: Attorney The Dalton State College student said her arrest has put her life on "pause." She is choosing to continue her studies in fall 2025, but she said her faith in God and her family have kept her going. 'I know my parents came here with the dream to give me and my sisters a better future, and that's exactly what they achieved. Unfortunately, we are in the situation we are right now, but knowing that my parents moved from another country with nothing in their pockets and gave me the life they so much wanted for themselves keeps me going because they crossed a literal river with me to be able to give me the life I have,' she said. Arias-Cristobal's lawyers said they're looking into the possibility of applying for a U visa, which may be a pathway to legal status for Arias-Cristobal and her family stemming from the wrongful arrest, according to attorney Dustin Baxter. The U visa is a special type of visa that is offered to some victims of abuse or crimes who help law enforcement with investigations. "We have concerns based on a number of different things, how the arrest was carried out, what was put in the arrest report that obviously wasn't true, and some things that happened right after, resulting in his resignation about the legality of this stop and then arrest," Baxter said. "She should never have been arrested and she should never have been taken to Stewart," he said. Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention originally appeared on

28-05-2025
Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention
A Georgia teen detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after wrongfully being arrested said she forgives the police officer who mistakenly pulled her over for a traffic violation she did not commit. "I think he needed to do what he needed to do. He knows why he did it and I think, as from my standpoint, I don't hold a grudge against him. As a Christian I think the Bible says forgive those who wrong you, and I forgive him," Ximena Arias-Cristobal said at a press conference Wednesday. Arias-Cristobal, 19, was arrested on May 5 in Dalton, Georgia, when her dark gray truck was mistaken for a black pickup that made an illegal turn. Those citations were later dropped once officials realized there was a mix-up, Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said. But, she was still detained by ICE after it was discovered she was an undocumented immigrant. She was released on bond last week. Officer Leslie O'Neal has resigned from his position at the Dalton Police Department, the communications director for the City of Dalton, Georgia, confirmed to ABC News. Arias-Cristobal said immigrants at the Stewart Detention Center, where she was held, are "treated like we're the worst criminals ever" and acknowledged that others have also been treated unjustly. "I know everything that I'm going through is something that's very unjust, and it's not only my case, but millions of people are going through this in the United States. At Stewart, I met a lot of people that are going through tougher situations than me, and I think they deserve justice because they are not criminals,' she said. "There's a lot of very sad cases in there, mine is just a speck of what you see and that's the sad truth," she said. Despite forgiving the officer for her arrest, she said he acted "very unprofessional with his words" and "unprofessional with how he treated me." She said the incident has changed her world. 'It kind of flips your world. ... Before we lived in fear, now a lot more," she said. "It's making people feel a little bit more entitled. With everything going on in the government, people just feel like their feelings can be poured out, and because of that, we feel as if we're more like targets in our community, and we're scared to go out, and we don't feel as comfortable as we used to before," Arias-Cristobal said. The Dalton State College student said her arrest has put her life on "pause." She is choosing to continue her studies in fall 2025, but she said her faith in God and her family have kept her going. 'I know my parents came here with the dream to give me and my sisters a better future, and that's exactly what they achieved. Unfortunately, we are in the situation we are right now, but knowing that my parents moved from another country with nothing in their pockets and gave me the life they so much wanted for themselves keeps me going because they crossed a literal river with me to be able to give me the life I have,' she said. Arias-Cristobal's lawyers said they're looking into the possibility of applying for a U visa, which may be a pathway to legal status for Arias-Cristobal and her family stemming from the wrongful arrest, according to attorney Dustin Baxter. The U visa is a special type of visa that is offered to some victims of abuse or crimes who help law enforcement with investigations. "We have concerns based on a number of different things, how the arrest was carried out, what was put in the arrest report that obviously wasn't true, and some things that happened right after, resulting in his resignation about the legality of this stop and then arrest," Baxter said. "She should never have been arrested and she should never have been taken to Stewart," he said.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention
A Georgia teen detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcements after wrongfully being arrested said she forgives the police officer who mistakenly pulled her over for a traffic violation she did not commit. "I think he needed to do what he needed to do. He knows why he did it and I think, as from my standpoint, I don't hold a grudge against him. As a Christian I think the Bible says forgive those who wrong you, and I forgive him," Ximena Arias-Cristobal said at a press conference Wednesday. Arias-Cristobal, 19, was arrested on May 5 in Dalton, Georgia, when her dark gray truck was mistaken for a black pickup that made an illegal turn. Those citations were later dropped once officials realized there was a mix-up, Dalton Assistant Police Chief Chris Crossen said. But, she was still detained by ICE after it was discovered she was an undocumented immigrant. She was released on bond last week. Officer Leslie O'Neal has resigned from his position at the Dalton Police Department, the communications director for the City of Dalton, Georgia, confirmed to ABC News. MORE: Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken arrest says detention was 'life-changing' Arias-Cristobal said immigrants at the Stewart Detention Center, where she was held, are "treated like we're the worst criminals ever" and acknowledged that others have also been treated unjustly. "I know everything that I'm going through is something that's very unjust, and it's not only my case, but millions of people are going through this in the United States. At Stewart, I met a lot of people that are going through tougher situations than me, and I think they deserve justice because they are not criminals,' she said. "There's a lot of very sad cases in there, mine is just a speck of what you see and that's the sad truth," she said. Despite forgiving the officer for her arrest, she said he acted "very unprofessional with his words" and "unprofessional with how he treated me." She said the incident has changed her world. 'It kind of flips your world. ... Before we lived in fear, now a lot more," she said. "It's making people feel a little bit more entitled. With everything going on in the government, people just feel like their feelings can be poured out, and because of that, we feel as if we're more like targets in our community, and we're scared to go out, and we don't feel as comfortable as we used to before," Arias-Cristobal said. MORE: Georgia teen detained by ICE after mistaken traffic stop granted bond: Attorney The Dalton State College student said her arrest has put her life on "pause." She is choosing to continue her studies in fall 2025, but she said her faith in God and her family have kept her going. 'I know my parents came here with the dream to give me and my sisters a better future, and that's exactly what they achieved. Unfortunately, we are in the situation we are right now, but knowing that my parents moved from another country with nothing in their pockets and gave me the life they so much wanted for themselves keeps me going because they crossed a literal river with me to be able to give me the life I have,' she said. Arias-Cristobal's lawyers said they're looking into the possibility of applying for a U visa, which may be a pathway to legal status for Arias-Cristobal and her family stemming from the wrongful arrest, according to attorney Dustin Baxter. The U visa is a special type of visa that is offered to some victims of abuse or crimes who help law enforcement with investigations. "We have concerns based on a number of different things, how the arrest was carried out, what was put in the arrest report that obviously wasn't true, and some things that happened right after, resulting in his resignation about the legality of this stop and then arrest," Baxter said. "She should never have been arrested and she should never have been taken to Stewart," he said. Georgia teen forgives officer who wrongly arrested her leading to ICE detention originally appeared on
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.