A Georgia college student faces deportation after skipping a red light, leading to a police stop that uncovered her undocumented immigration status. Ximena Arias-Cristobal, a 19-year-old student at Dalton State Community College, was pulled over on Monday after failing to follow a “no turn on red” traffic sign. What started as a routine traffic stop quickly turned into a life-altering moment for the young woman and her family.
According to the New York Post, police discovered she was driving without a valid U.S. driver’s license. Arias-Cristobal claimed to have an international driver’s license, but said her mother had taken it from her. She was arrested for driving without a license and failure to obey traffic control devices.
ICE Database Flags College Student After Routine Arrest
After her arrest, Arias-Cristobal was taken to Whitfield County Jail. There, her information was processed through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) database under Georgia’s 287(g) program, which links local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities. That’s when officials learned that Arias-Cristobal was not a U.S. citizen. She was later transferred to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia—a facility known for holding detainees facing deportation proceedings. Her father is also being held there, following his own arrest for driving 19 mph over the speed limit.
The family’s immigration status unraveled quickly after the traffic stop. According to the arrest report, officers attempted to speak with Arias-Cristobal’s mother and the car’s owner, but neither spoke English. The case has now pulled in multiple family members, with ICE reportedly preparing to deport her mother within the next month.
She Missed DACA by a Year and Pays Out-of-State Tuition
Arias-Cristobal’s story has gained national attention for highlighting the complexities of immigration enforcement, particularly among undocumented students. According to Hannah Jones, her former babysitter, Ximena wasn’t eligible for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) because she arrived in the U.S. one year too late to qualify. Despite living in the U.S. for nearly 15 years, Arias-Cristobal has had limited access to government programs. Jones told reporters that the young woman has been paying out-of-state tuition at Dalton State, making college financially difficult.
In response to the situation, Jones created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for immigration legal fees and bond. Immigration attorney Terry Olsen shared that Ximena’s mother is also expected to be arrested and deported soon.
