Georgia teen remains in ICE detention despite dropped charges

19-year-old detained by ICE after traffic charges dismissed; mother fears deportation.

DALTON, Georgia (CNN/WXIA)- A 19-year-old from Dalton, Georgia, remains in ICE detention despite charges against her being dropped. Ximena Cristobal was arrested on May 5th for a traffic violation and driving without a valid driver’s license. While the charges were later dismissed, she is still being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with no bond.

Cristobal’s mother, Daita Cristobal, spoke out about the heartbreak of not having her daughter home. “The house feels very sad and lonely,” Daita said. “Ximena was the one who made our house very happy.” Daita described the emotional pain she feels, stating, “It has been very shocking to me. It’s very painful. I feel very sad and impotent, that I feel I cannot do anything for her.”

Arrest and ICE detention

Ximena Cristobal was pulled over in Dalton on May 5 while driving her father’s truck. Police accused her of making an illegal right turn at a red light, leading to her arrest for that charge and for driving without a valid state license. Despite the charges being dropped, Ximena was placed in ICE custody and remains there, with no bond.

Dustin Baxter, Ximena’s attorney, explained that Ximena and her father are not U.S. citizens and that Ximena has no criminal history. “After the arrest, she was placed in ICE custody,” Baxter said. “ICE is holding her at no bond, and they’ve said that they won’t reconsider that in light of the fact that the charges have been dismissed.”

Mother’s fear of deportation

Daita Cristobal now fears that her daughter may be deported to Mexico, a country Ximena doesn’t know well, despite being born there. “Yes, I’m very afraid of the possibility of her being deported because she would go to a country that she doesn’t know. She was born there, but it’s very different. All her life has been here,” Daita said, expressing the anguish of the uncertainty she faces.

Daita insists that her daughter is not a criminal. “She’s not a bad person, she’s not a bad girl, she’s not a criminal, but she’s a great, great person,” she said, hoping her daughter will soon be home with her.

An online fundraiser for Ximena Cristobal’s legal defense has raised more than $79,000.