A U.S. citizen was recently detained in Florida under allegations of illegal entry, despite his mother presenting evidence of his American citizenship to a judge. The arrest gained significant media attention, leading to the release of the individual involved.
Juan Carlos Lopez Gomez, aged 20, was traveling in a vehicle stopped just after crossing into Florida from Georgia by the Florida Highway Patrol. The passengers, including Lopez Gomez, were apprehended due to a new state law—currently suspended—that criminalizes the entry of individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. into Florida.
It remains uncertain whether Lopez Gomez provided documentation to the officers that could confirm his citizenship. Subsequently, he was detained at Leon County Jail.
The charges were dismissed the following day when his mother presented his state identification card, birth certificate, and Social Security card to the presiding judge. Court documents indicated that Judge Lashawn Riggans found no grounds for the charge. Despite this, Lopez Gomez was held briefly afterward due to a request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a 48-hour hold, a standard protocol when the agency aims to assume custody of an individual. ICE has not commented on the situation.
This incident attracted substantial attention as ICE is not authorized to detain U.S.-born citizens. While ICE may sometimes involve itself in cases concerning naturalized citizens who have committed offenses like falsification on immigration documents, it has no jurisdiction over individuals born in the United States.
The situation was further complicated by a federal judge’s suspension of the Florida law targeting illegal entry into the state, indicating the law should not have been enforced. Legal experts have criticized the arrest under these circumstances, emphasizing that no one, especially a U.S. citizen, should face charges under the suspended law. Alana Greer, an immigration attorney, highlighted the potential bias influencing the arrest, suggesting assumptions based on language barriers may have played a role.
