Overview

• Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old Georgia college student, has been held at Stewart Detention Center since May 5 following a mistaken traffic stop.
• Local authorities dropped the traffic charges on May 12 after confirming the stop was made in error, but Arias-Cristobal remains detained by ICE.
• The Department of Homeland Security has offered Arias-Cristobal and her father $1,000 each and a free flight if they agree to self-deport to Mexico.
• Arias-Cristobal, who has lived in the U.S. since age 4, is ineligible for DACA protections due to the program’s 2007 cutoff date.
• Community members and local lawmakers, including a Republican state legislator, have advocated for her release, citing her contributions and ties to the area.