A U.S. citizen was arrested in Florida for allegedly being within the nation illegally and held for pickup by immigration authorities even after his mom confirmed a decide her son’s beginning certificates and the decide dismissed fees.
Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, 20, was in a automobile that was stopped simply previous the Georgia state line by the Florida Freeway Patrol on Wednesday, mentioned Thomas Kennedy, a spokesperson on the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
Gomez and others within the automobile have been arrested underneath a new Florida legislation, which is on maintain, making it a criminal offense for people who find themselves within the nation illegally to enter the state.
Thomas Kennedy / AP
It’s unclear if Lopez Gomez confirmed paperwork proving he’s a citizen to the arresting officers. He was held at Leon County Jail and launched after his case acquired widespread media protection.
The cost of unlawful entry into Florida was dropped Thursday after his mom confirmed the decide his state identification card, beginning certificates and Social Safety card, mentioned Kennedy, who attended the listening to.
Court docket information present Decide Lashawn Riggans discovered no foundation for the cost.
Lopez Gomez briefly remained in custody after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requested he stay there for 48 hours, a typical observe when the company desires to take custody of somebody. ICE didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The case drew widespread consideration as a result of ICE will not be purported to take custody of U.S.-born residents. Whereas the immigration company can often get entangled in instances of naturalized residents who dedicated offenses akin to mendacity on immigration kinds, it has no authority over folks born within the U.S.
Including to the confusion is a federal decide’s ruling to place a maintain on the enforcement of the Florida legislation towards people who find themselves within the nation illegally coming into the state, which meant it shouldn’t have been enforced.
“No one should be arrested under that law, let alone a U.S. citizen,” mentioned Alana Greer, an immigration legal professional from the Florida Immigrant Coalition. “They saw this person, he didn’t speak English particularly well, and so they arrested him and charged him with this law that no one [should] be charged with.”
