Overview

• Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old college student, was detained by ICE after a mistaken traffic stop in Dalton, Georgia, on May 5, 2025.
• Local authorities dismissed the traffic charges a week later, admitting the stop was an error, but ICE had already taken custody of Arias-Cristobal due to her undocumented status.
• An immigration judge granted her the minimum bond of $1,500 on May 21, 2025, with ICE opting not to appeal the decision.
• Arias-Cristobal, who came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 4, is ineligible for DACA protections due to the 2007 arrival cutoff.
• Her father, also detained by ICE earlier this year, has already been released on bond; both face ongoing deportation proceedings, with hearings expected by mid-2026.