After spending two weeks in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, young Mexican immigrant Ximena Arias-Cristobal was finally reunited with her family in the early morning hours of May 23, after what immigration rights advocates call an “unjust and unnecessary” detention.
Ximena’s triumphant return home was reported by various media outlets, local reporters in and around Atlanta, as well as immigration activists through social networks. The case has generated concern in migrant communities and pro-immigrant organizations, who point out that, despite advances in certain policies, arbitrary detentions without criminal justification continue to occur in the United States.
Ximena Arias-Cristóbal released
According to Efe news agency, the 19-year-old college student was released from the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, southwest Georgia, after paying the $1,500 bond imposed on her by the immigration magistrate during a hearing held on May 22.
“The judge reviewed Ximena’s case in detail and determined that, in fact, Ximena is not a flight risk or a danger to the community in the least,” her attorney Dustin Baxter told EFE.
Ximena’s arrest came after she was stopped for allegedly making an improper turn and driving without a driver’s license.
However, a week later, Dalton Police acknowledged that it was a mistake, after reviewing the arresting officer’s body camera video.
According to authorities, the vehicle Ximena was driving had similar characteristics to the offender, but was not the same vehicle that committed the infraction.
Although the charges were dropped by the police department, ICE refused to release her, citing her irregular immigration status.
DHS will not appeal the decision
At the immigration hearing held at the Stewart Detention Center in southwest Georgia, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it would not appeal the judge’s decision.
“The family will post bail as soon as possible and Ximena will be home with her family by tomorrow afternoon at the latest,” said attorney Baxter.
Ximena came to the U.S. at the age of 4, and since then has lived, studied and worked in this country.
According to sources close to the case, the young woman has been actively contributing to her community for years, with no criminal record and a history of hard work and self-improvement.
Detention of migrants without a criminal record continues
Ximena Arias is released, but her case is not isolated.
In recent months, several organizations – including United We Dream and AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association) – have reported a disturbing increase in arrests of people without criminal records, many of them young people who arrived in the country as minors.
These detentions often occur in the context of immigration reviews, courts or even during employment checks, and in several cases, immigrants spend days or weeks in custody without being formally charged.
The fact that a person with roots and no criminal record can be arbitrarily detained highlights what many voices within the Latino community have denounced: a deeply broken immigration system that often ignores the humanity and context of those seeking a dignified life in the United States.
The case of Ximena Arias-Cristobal has been shared by activists on social networks, generating expressions of solidarity and outrage.
Although the young woman is now free, the experience has left its mark not only on her and her family, but also on those who see in her story a reflection of the daily fear with which many undocumented people or those in the immigration process live.
Important information:
Buzzy
What can you do if you or someone close to you is facing an ICE detainer?
- Immediately contact an immigration attorney
- Do not sign any document without legal advice
- Inform family or friends to document the case.
- Contact organizations such as RAICES, NILC or United We Dream that offer legal and emergency assistance.
El juez revisó el caso de Ximena en detalle y determinó que, de hecho, Ximena no representa un riesgo de fuga ni un peligro para la comunidad en lo más mínimo
Dustin Baxter, abogado de Ximena
For more news, visit QuéOnnda.com.
