Description
A judge is allowing the release of a Georgia community college student who has been detained by immigration officials for weeks.
Ximena Arias-Cristobal had a bond hearing in immigration court on Wednesday and was granted $1,500 bond. According to her attorney, Arias-Cristobal's family does intend to pay that fee to have her released.
Earlier this month, police in Georgia mistakenly pulled the 19-year-old over and she was ultimately taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The attorney for Arias-Cristobal said she was brought to the U.S. illegally with her family 15 years ago, when she was four.
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Scripps News obtained video of the traffic stop and arrest. Dashboard camera video from a vehicle driven by a Dalton Police officer shows a black pickup truck driving past the car on May 5.
Off camera, the officer allegedly saw the driver of the truck make an illegal right turn on red at a busy intersection. The officer pursues what he thinks is the pickup truck but mistakenly pulls over a dark gray truck instead, driven by Arias-Cristobal.
The teen tells the officer she has an international license, but does not have it on her. The officer then arrests her for the illegal right turn on red, not realizing she was not the driver he saw commit the violation, and also cites her for driving without a license.
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“In the state of Georgia, when you’re driving without a license, do you know what happens?” the officer asks.
“No, sir,” Arias-Cristobal responds.
“You ever been to jail?” He asks.
“No, sir,” she responds.
"Well, you’re going,” the officer says.
“I cannot go to jail, I have my finals next week and my family really depends on this,” Arias-Cristobal says.
After reviewing the video, authorities in Georgia dropped the traffic charges against Arias-Cristobal, acknowledging she should not have been pulled over. ICE, however, is still able to deport her since she is not in the country legally and Homeland Security has threatened to send her to Mexico along with other family members.
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