DALTON, Ga. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed to our sister station, WSB-TV in Atlanta, that a north Georgia college student wrongfully pulled over will still be deported.
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Last week, police charged 19-year-old Ximena Arias-Cristobal with making an illegal right turn, but on Monday, officers announced that they got the wrong car.
Arias-Cristobal has lived in the U.S. since her parents brought her here illegally from Mexico when she was four, WSB reported.
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But despite what Dalton police call a regrettable mistake, ICE says they plan to move forward with removal proceedings.
In a statement obtained by WSB, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represents the Dalton area, said she was happy that Arias-Cristobal “was incredibly fortunate to grow up in a beautiful part of the world,” but the law is the law.
“While local Dalton officials dropped her charges, the facts remain: she was driving illegally without a license and has no legal basis to remain in the United States. She was brought to the United States at just four years old. Why didn’t her family ever pursue a legal path to stay in this country?”
Arias-Cristobal’s family said last week that Ximena’s father had a hard time getting a work visa.
“They’re not criminals, and they’re good people who came here to make a living for themselves,” Aurora Arias-Cristobal said. “They came here for a better future, a bright future, and they came here to work and not to be criminals.
A GoFundMe account set up for Arias-Cristobal’s legal fees has reached more than $80,000.
Arias-Cristobal is a student at Dalton State University.
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