Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen born in Georgia, was arrested in Florida while traveling for work and initially misidentified as an “unauthorized alien.” Following a traffic stop, he spent a night in jail due to a 48-hour hold requested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Lopez Gomez was released after his lawyer presented his birth certificate in court, which confirmed his citizenship.
The judge found no cause for the charges against him but indicated that Lopez Gomez would remain in custody due to ICE’s hold. ICE holds are issued when local law enforcement notifies the agency of an immigrant’s detention. The incident highlighted broader concerns about the implications of state laws targeting undocumented immigrants, particularly a recent Florida law that was temporarily blocked in court. Advocates criticized the situation as unjust, emphasizing its impact on U.S. citizens caught in immigration enforcement actions.
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