A 20-year-old U.S. citizen, Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, was detained by immigration authorities in Florida this week, sparking widespread concern over the state’s controversial immigration enforcement practices.
Lopez-Gomez, born in Grady County, Georgia, was arrested Wednesday by Florida Highway Patrol after a traffic stop while traveling from his home in Georgia to a construction job in Tallahassee. Despite presenting a valid U.S. birth certificate and Social Security card, he was charged under a Florida immigration law targeting “unauthorized aliens”—a law that had already been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
During a court hearing, Judge LaShawn Riggans confirmed the authenticity of Lopez-Gomez’s citizenship documents but said she could not release him due to an ICE detainer—a request by federal immigration authorities to hold someone for up to hours beyond their scheduled release. All criminal charges were dropped, yet Lopez-Gomez remained in Leon County Jail solely at ICE’s request.
Advocates and legal experts have called the detention unlawful and a violation of constitutional rights. “No one should have been arrested under this law, especially a U.S. citizen,” said Alana Greer of the Community Justice Project.
Lopez-Gomez was released Thursday evening after nearly hours in custody, but his case has ignited debate over the risks of aggressive state immigration laws and the potential for wrongful detention—even of American citizens.
